Unmaking the World
by Starwin
Summary: -COMPLETED- The world has been flipped upsidedown as the Guardians are turned against one another. But thats not even the worst part! Will has been stolen away and the girls don't even realize it! A shadow looms over the Infinity as darkness closes in.
1. E1 P1: Awakening

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

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**Rating: This Fan Fiction is rated T+ due to some mild language, violence and sexuality in later chapters.**

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"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

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Episode 1: At The Edge Of Nothingness

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Part 1: Awakening

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At the very center of Infinity exists the mystical fortress of Kandrakar. It is connected to all worlds and so all worlds are connected to it. That is all worlds except for one.

Far, far beyond the infinity, at the very edge of nothingness is a world which Kandrakar does not touch. A world which no person may travel to or from. A world that does not exist.

Lonely, empty and forgotten, the stronghold of Rakadin sits on the very edge of all existence, cut off from everywhere, sealed away and hidden for all of time, hidden in nothingness.

Silent-cold presses in upon the black marble towers that stand watch over the abandon halls. Not even the wind dares enter this place. However the vacant passageways are not soundless. For even in the absence of anything a faint noise can be heard. A sound so quiet that even in the absolute still the sharpest of ears would be hard pressed to hear it. It is the echo of time, dwindling away.

The disturbance comes from a small room, high up in a tall tower. From inside a crystal hour glass that sits on a black-ash dresser. From the tiny grains of sand that trickle downwards, falling slowly as though they were without weight or even perhaps as though the sand were without time.

Yet time is not at a stand still, for the last speck of sand falls and there is silence once more. But only for a moment. The rumble starts low, hardly noticeable at first, like the sound that preceded it. Then, as if afraid, the room begins to shiver violently with ear pounding noise. The glass in the windows shatter, raining down in brilliant silver shards. The black silk curtains flutter in a wind that does not come from outside, but in. The hourglass explodes sending shimmering white sand racing out in all directions.

The wind calms, the shaking stops and the room sits quiet once more, just as it has been for a long time. But now the room is no longer empty.

A young girl sits were the sand has fallen, her legs bent awkwardly around her as though she had been kneeling only a moment ago. Her pale white hands shake uncontrollably as she feels the touch of the floor, unable to believe it's real. Reaching up, with an unsteady hand, she brushes her shoulder length silver hair away from her black, reflectionless, eyes.

She tries to speak but her voice breaks. The girl knows she is alone, that this place is deserted, that she is the only one left and that thought crushes her heart. She can feel tears welling at the sides of her eyes but she wipes them away quickly, she has no desire for weakness.

With a great effort the girl struggles to her feet and leans uneasily against the black-ash dresser, her fingers touching the remnants of the hour glass. Waves of memories wash over her and she is thrown back into the distant past, the day her world ended.

"We cannot hold them Elise! You must take our daughter and go before the Guardians of the Veil reach the thrown room." It is her father, the king of Rakadin, he is badly injured.

"Daddy! Daddy!" the young silver haired girl shouts but her mother is dragging her away.

The girl and her mother are no more then a few strides from the thrown room before a great explosion rocks the kingdom, throwing the mother and daughter apart. Shouts echo from the half open doors behind them.

"So it is the Oracle of Kandrakar himself who has come to see our end!" It is the voice of her father, he is strong and brave. The girl jumps to her feet and sprints towards the door thinking only of her father.

"Serenity! Wait!" Her mother cries from behind her but the young girl does not heed the warning. Through the crack in the open door she can see her father standing before six floating figures, his sword raised high.

"Your crimes are too great to let this continue, Kull," says a man dressed in a long robe of sky blue. His head has not a single hair, but instead bears a strange circler mark behind his right temple. "The council of Kandrakar has no choice but to stop you."

"I won't let you! My power is beyond that of Kandrakar, beyond you Oracle!" Kull screams. Faster then the eye can see the King lashes out with his silver sword at the floating man called the Oracle.

Serenity, the young girl at the door, the princess of Rakadin, watches a horror that no child should ever have to see as her father's attack is rebounded upon himself. She cannot stifle the cry of terror and rage as her father collapses to the ground and lies there motionless. And she cannot stop the tears even though she is not supposed to cry.

The memory fades and Serenity finds herself once more alone in her room. Her hands shaking and her breath ragged. She can still see the face of the man who killed her father, the Oracle of Kandrakar.

Letting go of her dresser Serenity moves uncertainly towards the door to her room. Her legs are longer than she remembers and it is difficult to walk. Her clothing is uncomfortably tight against her skin.

A flash of motion catches her attention and she turns ready to face it, almost losing her balance in the process. The person she finds is a stranger indeed, it is her own reflection. She hardly recognizes herself, she looks so much older then she remembers. Her clothing is torn in places, her hair is much longer and her body has changed. Rage overtakes her and without touching it her sheer anger causes cracks to appear in the glass.

Not wanting to see her fractured reflection she stumbles from the room into the deserted hallway. The hallway brings back the painful memory of the last moments with her mother.

"Quickly Serenity we have to hurry, we mustn't stop!" Elise, Queen of Rakadin shouts. She holds her daughters hand fiercely determined not to let her go again. "We cannot let them find us…" a crash far behind them brings tidings of pursuit. The Queen pulls her daughter into a room, Serenity's room. Then, as calmly as though this were in a formal court, Elise knelt down so that her head was level with her daughters.

"The burden is yours to bear now, my sweet Serenity." Reaching around her neck Queen Elise unfastens the clasp of the silver chain. She held out the necklace to her daughter. "This is our most precious gift. Take it." Serenity watched as the round blue gem of the necklace swung back and forth but did not reach out to take it. "It falls to you now. You will be the new keeper of the Soul of Rakadin. Take the gem!" Serenity looked up into her mothers pleading eyes and finally snatched the gem from her.

Another crash echoes from the hallway outside.

"Be safe my beloved child," Elise whispered. Before Serenity could even open her mouth her mother unleashes a spell upon her and the nothingness presses in from all sides.

Collapsing again Serenity looks down at her shaking hands. The memory seemed like it was only a moment ago, but yet she knew it was years, many, many, years. For her mothers spell had protected her, kept her safe, kept her hidden. Removed from time, yet not from its influence. How old she was she did not know.

Instinctively her hand closed around the blue gem hanging from her neck, the Soul of Rakadin. She could feel it's power.

Oh yes, she would make the Oracle of Kandrakar pay for what he had done, but first she had to find her own guardians, her Dragon Knights of Rakadin.

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End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

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**Authors Notes:**

**Hey readers, reviewers, writers… everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read (and review I hope) my story. I keep leaving fan fiction and coming back. I don't know why, addiction maybe?**

**But what can I say is that I love writing and this is good practice (Innorruk knows I need it) for me with a built in audience and very little financial cost involved, alright it doesn't cost me anything… except my precious, unrecoverable, time… **

**Anyhow, I've posted two, very long, fan fictions before this in the universe of Harry Potter, there pretty good, you can read um if you want. I've actually written a lot more, but most don't make it to final publish, for good reason and this might not either. Though if you are reading this I am going to guess I put it up, or my friend Alex is posting my files again…**

**So, I also really like the WITCH universe and having just re-read all the comics back to back to back I'm in a bewitching mood at the moment, ha ha ha… bah never mind.**

**So, um, yeah depending on how people like this story I might finish it, you never know. If anyone is confused as to why there are three titles at the top, let me explain, with interpretive dance! No, not really… This whole FF is a story arc called "Unmaking the World". The arc is broken up into episodes that are in the same fashion as the comics in that they have a plot of their own but are part of a larger story (at least that's what I am going for who knows if I'll succeed). And each episode is broken into four parts (four just seemed to work) that are meant to play-out end to end, be their own little story within the whole (chapters).**

**You'll either understand it as you read along or go mad trying… either way I hope you enjoy!**

**So updates as I write them.**

**Starwin out.**


	2. E1 P2: Dragon Knights

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.  
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"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

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Episode 1: At The Edge Of Nothingness

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Part 2: Dragon Knights

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"Uhg, I totally failed that geometry test," whined a brown hair girl who went by the name of Irma. She was haphazardly stuffing everything on her desk into her book-bag even as the ring of the bell still lingered in the air.

The girl getting out of the desk next to Irma smiled at her, showing off her braces. Her name was Hay Lin, she was 13 and best friend to Irma Lair. She couldn't help but feel amused by her friend's casual air of sarcasm and easiness about failing horribly on such an important test.

"That's because that was a geo_graphy_ test Irma!" Hay Lin giggled.

"Eh, Geo-something-or-other test, it's all the same," Irma replied casually waving a hand at Hay Lin. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder, "Besides how bad can…"

The cold voice of their teacher, cut through the air. "Miss Lair, a word if you please." Irma's expression froze in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

"Oh yeah, I'm dead," Irma said her features visibly slouching as the teacher called out her name. Hay Lin snickered.

"Out, Miss Lin," their teacher added pointedly.

"_I'll let the others know you're engaged in battle with a hideous monster!_" Hay Lin said, using their telepathic connection to send her thoughts to Irma. Hay Lin shot Irma a grin and then hurried from the room throwing back a wave of encouragement before vanishing out the door.

The frown on Irma's face became more pronounced as she approached her teacher's desk, wishing, for once, that she _was_ fighting some hideous, horrible, monster instead.

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Cornelia Hale was one of the most popular girls in school. She was always setting the latest fashion, and buying the trendiest items. Girls wanted to be her. Boys wanted to date her. With just a flick of her long blond hair she could turn every head in the room.

So it was a long running mystery, among most of the students, as to why it was that she hung out with Will Vandom. While they both shared the same class and a few of the same friends, no one could quiet understand why it was they were seen together almost everyday.

The strangest part was that Cornelia Hale seemed to actually enjoy being around Will Vandom. And to every person outside their group this was just odd! The redheaded student had only arrived at the school a few months back, while there were some girls who had been trying for years to join Cornelia's list of friends.

But what really set the other girls talking was Will Vandom's, or the 'redheaded frog girl' as some of the students called her (or RFG when Will was in ear shot), apparel. Oh, sure, she would occasionally get something to match here and there, but most of the girls thought she dressed like a boy! Hardly even looking at what it was she put on every morning.

There were even nasty rumors about Will that passed in the lowest of whispers among some of the meaner girls in the school.

Sometimes, when Will was alone some of the whispering became a bit louder so that she could clearly hear it. And though she pretended she didn't care what the other students said Will couldn't help but feel hurt by their words. Why did they have to say such mean, untrue, things about her? What good ever came of it?

This school might have turned out to be just as bad as Fadden Hills had been for Will had she not found an incredible group of supportive, caring, friends. They had accepted her for who she was. Treated her like a sister. Loved her. They shared a special bond that could never be broken.

Will had her arms folded across her chest as she walked alongside Cornelia. She always felt more secure when she was with her friends, as people tended to keep their whispers about her low when she wasn't alone.

At last the two girls finally emerged from the crowded hallway. They made for their favorite spot under one of the large trees. Their school day was over but they weren't ready to head for home just yet.

The friends had plans to hang out together all afternoon, maybe even getting in a little shopping later on… well, window browsing for Will. She was broke at the moment having been grounded again for staying out late.

Their friend, Taranee Cook, was already waiting for them, sitting on the green patch of grass, in the shade of the large tree. She looked like she was meditating.

"Hey, you," Will said softly as she sat down across from her friend. Taranee's dark eyes opened calmly behind her glasses and she smiled at Will.

"Will," Taranee answered back, she looked happy to see her friend. "Hi Cornelia," Taranee smiled to the blond as Cornelia sat down next to Will.

Taranee's head turned as she sensed the approach of their friend Hay Lin. Hay Lin had arrived alone, usually Hay Lin and Irma were inseparable, almost like sisters. They had known each other for a long time and were best friends forever.

"Irma was… uh… delayed," Hay Lin said, smiling awkwardly trying to be nonchalant.

"Let me guess," said Taranee with a smile, "Irma bombed her geography test?" Hay Lin couldn't hold back anymore and her giddiness burst forth in a rush of excitement.

"She brought her _math_ book with her to class," Hay Lin said bouncing up and down, "It's like her head is up in the clouds!"

"Oh no Hay Hey, the air-head is more your thing!" Hay Lin jumped at the sound of Irma's voice behind her. The girls giggled as Hay Lin turned a bright shade of red with embarrassment.

"But you know," Irma continued as she sat down joining the circle of her friends, "I have kinda been feeling like I've been underwater all week long. Everything seems so distant…" there was an uncharacteristic tone of worry in Irma's voice.

Irma was the member of their group who was the most resilient to thoughts of worry and doubt. So Will took it as a bad sign that she could see both emotions in Irma's face at the moment.

Hay Lin knelt down behind her friend, putting her arms protectively around Irma, giving her a hug of encouragement.

Cornelia broke the moment of silence, speaking softly and not looking at anyone. "Actually, I've been feeling the same way, like I'm seeing the world from a long ways off." Her long blond hair half-covered her face as though she was trying to hide behind it. She too looked troubled.

Will looked between her two grim faced friends. Since Will had join the group she'd taken on the role of leader. And almost inexplicably her friends had accepted this outsider with open arms, willing to follow her into hell if they had to. Again people who weren't in their group just couldn't understand it. But that was because they didn't know, couldn't know, just how strong the bond between the girls was.

"Do you think it might be related to our, uh, extra curricular activities?" Will asked. By 'extra curricular she actually meant their secret roles as the protectors of the universe. For it was not information that Will, or the others for that matter, liked to broadcast. Even their parents didn't know that they were normal teen-age girls by day and superheroes by… well… also by day, but sometimes by night.

Cornelia shrugged. "Maybe," she said her eyes not quiet lifting to meet Will's.

"Well I feel normal," stated Will.

"Yeah, except that you've got your shirt on inside out," smirked Cornelia and her expression seemed to lighten a little. Will grinned, embarrassed and folded her arms across her chest again in a futile attempt to try and conceal her clothing mishap.

"Hey! It's not my fault! My alarm clock didn't go off again this morning! Neither did Hay Lin's! We almost missed each other on the way to school." explained Will rapidly.

"That's the third time this week," Taranee said looking a little concerned. Will had been running late all week long. Normally, Will and electronics, got along very well together. One of her powers let her bring them to life. But as of late she seemed to be encountering more and more failures with her devices, her alarm clock being the latest.

"Yeah, well, Kimi…" Will began to explain.

"Who?" Irma asked confused.

"My alarm clock," Will continued, "her name is Kimi. Anyhow, she said that she tried to wake me up but that I must be staying up too late because I just wouldn't get out of bed. But I swear she didn't go off this morning!"

"Man I hope my alarm clock never gains the ability to talk," interrupted Irma. "It would most likely have me arrested for my abuse of the snooze button."

The girls laughed. Irma beamed. She had the incredible gift to bring joy to her friends' faces, even in the most dire of times.

Irma caught a flash of something on Hay Lin's arm. With a quick movement she snatched Hay Lin's left wrist, that was still draped over her shoulder, and turned it over.

"Hay Lin, what happened to your arm?" Irma asked concerned as she saw the nasty scrape Hay Lin had been concealing all day long.

"Oh its nothing, just a little scratch. I just lost my balance on my way to school this morning!" Hay Lin said, her face turning red again as Irma touched her arm gently so that she could examine the extent of the injury. The other girls cringed at seeing the nasty scrape on Hay Lin's forearm and elbow. Irma rolled her eyes and shook her head at Hay Lin before releasing her injured appendage.

"Well, other than that, how are you feeling Hay Lin?" Will asked, her tone anxious. Hay Lin shrugged as if to indicate she couldn't complain. She still looked embarrassed. "And you Taranee, nothing strange going on?" Taranee shook her head.

"Nothing like that, but I have been feeling… uneasy lately, restless. It's been a while since we were sent on a mission," said Taranee.

"What! And you're complaining about that!" Irma replied with mock horror that Taranee would even suggest such a thing. "So we haven't had to fight any monsters for a few weeks! About time we got a vacation!"

"Speaking of which," Cornelia said, standing and brushing herself off. "I think its time we get out of here." The other girls stood up as well, getting ready to leave.

"Yeah, I can't wait to…WILL!" Taranee shouted. No sooner had Will Vandom stood up than her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted, collapsing back down to the ground. Her friends rushed to her side to see if she was alright.

The young redheaded girl lay still for a long moment but when her eyes fluttered open she found her friends gathered around her, their faces worried.

"You know, maybe I'm not feeling so good after all," Will managed with a strained voice. Her friends helped lift Will back to her feet and they embraced her reassuringly with whispered words of concern.

"I think we should get you home," Cornelia said. "Shopping will have to wait for another day." These words were the highest form of friendship Cornelia could give to anyone, passing up shopping. With her friends by her side, the inseparable five set off to escort their friend back to her apartment.

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The girls were so distracted by Will's sudden collapse that they hardly stopped to consider what might have caused it. For similar things had happened to Will Vandom before. Long ago, back when there were still portals through the Veil. And had the W.I.T.C.H girls been only a little more observant they would have noticed that there was now an almost identical portal nearby.

Serenity stepped cautiously out of the whirling vortex and onto the soft green grass. Creating this tunnel of magic had taken her almost a week and used much of her strength. She hadn't been able to fully reconnect Rakadin to the rest of the infinite universe, that was beyond her, maybe even impossible, at least for the moment.

However Serenity had been able to connect to this world for some reason. The magical draw of this place was strong, strong enough to overcome even the power of Kandrakar that had kept Rakadin bound in nothingness for so long.

Shielding her eyes from the bright light of the sun Serenity's thoughts settled on the world she had come to. Gradually becoming more aware of how strange the place around her was, and of all the odd people who inhabited it.

She had dressed herself in a warriors outfit before attempting this journey. Her old clothing had been much too small owing to her growth. But the snug fitting, karate like, black gi and silver armor, though very comfortable, were obviously out of place here, so she made herself to be invisible. Nobody noticed her or the portal, apparently these mortals could not sense her presence.

With the passage she had established from Rakadin to this world now stable, she could begin the search for her Dragon Knights. For they could be scattered on any number of worlds across the infinite universe.

Clasping the Soul of Rakadin in her hands Serenity prepared to set out on her quest. But then she felt them, saw them, right there in front of her! How could this be? How could _they_ have known she come here? It was too soon for her to face the Guardians!

Although their faces were not the ones she remembered, Serenity knew it was them. She could see the auras of elemental power the emanated around the five girls. See their connection to their elements, to each other.

Serenity felt panicked, she thought about retreating back through the portal but what would she do if they followed her? She would be trapped, alone in that dark place once more and Serenity wasn't sure she would have the power to create the bridge again.

So she held her ground. Perhaps she had been drawn here by the guardians themselves, so that they could finish her off. If that was the case then she would have no choice but to fight them. Her powers were weak at the moment, she was not used to her new found gifts or her strange body, but she would not surrender, or go silently back into the void!

However the guardians seemed unaware of her intrusion, perhaps because their attention was divided elsewhere. Serenity let out a calm, sigh of relief and forced herself to become focused once more.

Here were her enemies, their guard down. With such an element of surprise Serenity was sure she could have destroyed them all. But she did not want that. Instead, Serenity, the new Empress of Rakadin, stood silent and examined her adversaries.

Fate had given her this gift and she would not pass up the chance to gain knowledge she was desperately lacking. Especially about the people who posed the most threat to her.

Lifting the Soul of Rakadin to her mouth Serenity whispered softly to it. Names, feelings, thoughts and memories… they all filled her mind. She could 'see' more than just the physical appearance of each guardian. She experienced them.

That one was Cornelia Hale, the guardian of the element of earth. She had long blond hair, a slender body and a very pretty face. She was taller than the others and her eyes were bright blue like the sky. Her young body was accentuated by her tight fitting, trendy clothing. There was an air of snobbishness about her and a feeling of uptightness.

Next to Cornelia was the guardian of the element of air, Hay Lin. Of Asian descent, she had two long tails of black hair that flowed out from her head. She appeared to be the youngest of the group and was dressed in strange fashion that looked to be of her own design. Her eyes were black and shaped like almonds and she appeared easily excitable. By far she was the most concerned with the situation at hand. She was very open with her feelings and they were broadcast on her face. And she had very strong feelings for the other girls, especially the one who's shoulder she was currently hanging onto.

Hay Lin's fingers were digging deeply into the shoulder of the girl kneeling in front of her, Irma Lair, the guardian of the element of water. She was a little pudgy around the face and had a curvy body that she tried to conceal with overly large clothing. She had bright, intelligent, aqua color, eyes and her hair was walnut brown, very short, wavy and presently, tied off in two pig tails. She was stubborn, loyal to a fault and hid her real feelings about everything behind a mask of sarcasm.

Across from Irma was Taranee Cook, the guardian of the element of fire, she also knelt anxiously down by her friend. Taranee had dark skin, black hair and glasses. There was genuine concern in her. Taranee seemed to worry about everyone in the group, almost like a mother. But Serenity could see that Taranee also had a short temper and she was quick to burst into a fiery rage, sometimes including real fire, when someone crossed the line with her.

Even though Taranee was friends with the rest of the guardians and cared about them deeply she always felt like an outsider around them. Her insecurity about what her friends thought of her weighed heavy on her heart. Because she was gifted with the power of telepathy, she often heard things, from her friends, that they would never dare say.

The last of the guardians, Will Vandom, was the keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar, she currently lay limply on the ground. Her hair was bright red and she had the slender, well toned body of a swimmer. She was their leader, strong, decisive and caring but very insecure of herself and her looks.

Will's friends came first and she loved them with all her heart. More than even she knew. She led with confidence but always questioned her own decisions. Secretly she wished that the Heart had picked someone other than her, though it was a thought she rarely liked to entertain.

Serenity watched the group for a long time, feeling out their emotions and their memories. It was only a glimpse of the surface, digging deeper would require more effort and most likely not go unnoticed.

A glancing thought coming from another source nearby pulled Serenity's attention from the guardians. A boy with brown hair was standing with a group of friends watching Will with concern. Serenity whispered to the Soul of Rakadin again following up on the glancing thought. Words drifted through her head, 'Matt Olsen'. There was more than a name, there were feelings and thoughts. Serenity understood. Matt was Will's boyfriend. 'Well that would certainly make things much easier.'

Serenity almost hungered to see more memories and thoughts but stopped herself. She had glimpsed much already and any more would certainly draw unwanted attention.

So these were the new Guardians. No longer of the Veil, as Serenity had seen in their thoughts, but now full time protectors of Kandrakar and the infinite universe. Well that would make things more complicated.

The guardians got to their feet and left, helping support Will. Serenity waited a heartbeat before clasping her hands around the Soul of Rakadin.

"Please mighty Soul of Rakadin, guide me to my Dragon Knights," the gem glowed a deep blue and she let it go. The Soul continued to hover. Serenity waited for a rift to open, to take her to another world, but instead the Soul spun in the air pointing the way.

Serenity paused feeling confused. Could it be that her Dragon Knights were here? In the same world as the Guardians? There was only one way to find out for sure.

At first Serenity tried to follow the floating gem, but there were so many people around that she had to keep deviating far off course, so as not to collide with anyone. After all being invisible meant that other people couldn't see you, so you had to stay out of their way.

After her third near miss Serenity decided that invisibility, though useful, was not a good choice. Carefully studying the children around her she fashioned in her mind clothing she thought fitting of this world and used her magic to make it so.

She felt her gi unravel and spin around her body in a whirlwind of thread. For a brief moment she was naked and very glad that no one could see her. Then quickly her clothing reformed on her skin given a new form and shape. She examined herself. These garments looked suitable for this place.

Now dressed in a long black skirt and black hooded sweatshirt with silver trim she felt a little less conspicuous, though she wasn't sure she had gotten the shoes right. The tall heel made her feel unstable and it was difficult to walk.

Gradually Serenity let herself become visible, ever so slowly so as not to draw attention. No one seemed to notice her appearance. Clasping the Soul gem in her hand so that it's floating would be less noticeable Serenity continued to follow where it pointed her.

Serenity fell twice, much to the amusement of some nearby girls, whom she ignored, and the concern of a very overly friendly boy, who introduced himself as Martin. But he was not a Dragon Knight, so Serenity had little interest in him.

However he would not stop following her and she finally had to use her magic to make the pest go away. Serenity had to admit it was a less than pleasant experience and she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth. She hoped the next time would be better.

As the boy walked away in a daze Serenity changed her high heeled shoes into comfortable sandals. She was unable to fathom why anyone would choose to wear such ridiculous contraptions!

Moving faster and with more ease in her new footwear it wasn't long before she reached her destination. Some type of stone court on which a large group of boys were doing battle with one another over a small orange ball. She watched curiously.

The boy's didn't seem to be punching or kicking one another nor were they armed with any weapons, although they slammed against each other fairly hard. Their faces were tight with anger as they circled each other again and again but then they would break apart and dash towards the strangely shaped poles with hoops at either side of the combat area. What an odd ritual.

Could these be her Dragon Knights? Some of them looked fit enough to be warriors, though they hardly had on any clothing, let alone armor or weapons.

As the contest paused one of the boys looked in the direction of Serenity and smiled at her. She realized that she had been staring at him. Serenity smiled back, the boy looked away, embarrassed. Yes, she was certain this was the right spot. How strange that her Dragon Knights would be so close to the guardians, almost as if this town were some kind of focal point for magic.

Serenity found that there were raised benches from which she could sit and observe the contest. The seat was not comfortable. And the moment she was off her feet her body ached all over and she felt very tired. The trip, her spells and transformation, all of it had taken its toll on her, and she still had much to do, so a rest was most welcome.

She watched the match passively as she re-gathered her strength, trying to discern what was going on. It seemed to be some sort of game, not combat, and the objective was to put the orange ball through the hoops, for what purpose she wasn't sure yet.

"WOOHOO! GO Peter GO!" shouted an overly excited girl with brown hair sitting near Serenity. The one called Peter had just broken away from the rest and was rushing towards the far side of the court.

And then Serenity saw it, ever so faint on the ground, a flicker of magic. Peter tripped and fell hard onto the asphalt. Serenity smiled darkly, yes these were _her_ Dragon Knights.

"Hey! What the hell's your problem Dante!" shouted Peter as he pushed himself up. His arm was bleeding.

A boy with red hair and many freckles, who had been running closely behind Peter, stepped forward and puffed out his chest trying to make himself look bigger. Dante was tall and wiry. He was almost a head taller than Peter but looked like a twig by comparison. His face came to a point at his chin, his ears were small and his eyes were an off color brown. To Serenity, Dante seemed like the kind of person who bluntly spoke his mind, all the time, and damn the consequences. Serenity watched the conflict more intently.

"You're my problem, Cook!" Dante snarled back. "I can't help it if you trip over your own feet!" The two stared each other down for a long moment.

"Dante… don't," said the boy with blond hair who had smiled at Serenity. Dante shot him an angry look but didn't say anything to him.

"Everyone says you guys are trouble, ever since you got here. I was willing to give you a chance, but it looks like you don't want it," Peter said. "I think were done here," Peter turned to his other teammates. The other boys looked uneasy but seemed to agree with Peter and followed him as he walked off the court, taking the orange ball with him. The group of girls who had been sitting on the bench next to Serenity followed at a distance whispering and giggling.

However Serenity remained behind, the only person still on the metal bleachers, her eyes fixed on the four boys who were still out on the court. This was her chance! Serenity made herself invisible once more and moved slowly, down towards the court where the boys stood arguing among themselves. As she got closer Serenity caught some of their words.

"What were you thinking Dante!" a boy with a shaved head asked angrily. This boy was very muscular, wearing a sleeveless black athletic shirt that showed off his well toned body. Even though he looked older than Dante, he was shorter. His face was unshaven with a rough few day old beard. There were dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept in a long time. His voice sounded harsh and his tone irritable. He seemed like someone who could never admit to being wrong, even though he often was. And it was his way, or the highway. "Using your abilities like that in public! Are you stupid? Do you want to get us found out?"

"You know what Hayden, I don't care! I'm really tired of taking orders from you!" Dante said nastily. "And so are the others! Right guys?" Dante held out his hands towards the other two boys who stood watching the argument. "Well, come on Alex tell him!" Dante spat impatiently, addressing the blond haired boy.

Alex looked at Dante uneasily and mumbled something inaudible before looking away. He was by far the shortest of the four of them as if he were a couple years younger. His face was round, but the rest of his body looked like he was underfed. He had soft green eyes that projected calmness about him, but he was also nervous and seemed fearful of the world in general. He stood awkwardly, obviously wanting to be anywhere but in the middle of the confrontation.

"See!" Dante shouted at Hayden.

"I think _you_ better shut up," snarled Hayden, there was hate boiling in his voice. Not even pausing to consider the repercussions Dante blindly continued on his rant.

"And what are you going to do about it Mr.-I'm-so-tough?" Dante mocked and pushed Hayden. There was a flash of anger across Hayden's face. The others knew that Dante had cross the line. With a blur of speed Hayden punched Dante as hard as he could in the gut. Dante doubled over collapsing to the ground with a grunt of pain.

"Stop it Hayden!" said the last boy of the group. An Asian boy with glasses and very short black hair, the tips of which had been frosted white. He too seemed to have some muscle, though not as much as Hayden. He had been standing silently next to Alex, but now he moved purposefully between Hayden and Dante, gently resting a hand on Hayden's shoulder. He didn't seem fearful of Hayden's wrath and Hayden seemed to seriously consider stopping at his friend's suggestion.

"Get out of my way Owin," Hayden snarled at a moment. "This dumbass has put us at risk for the last time. I'm not having my powers found out again! Do you all want to have to run away, again? Find another city, again! After all the work we did to blend in here?" He was addressing the group at large.

"I'm tired of running, I'm tired of hiding. But most of all…" he pushed Owin's arm away and kicked Dante viciously. "I'm… tired… of… you!" between each word he kicked the defenseless Dante, who had curled into a ball for protection.

Hayden was about to kick him again but he felt a cold hand rest on his shoulder and his rage dulled and faded away. His feet became heavy and his arms limp at his sides.

"That is enough," Serenity said quietly. Alex and Owin jumped at her sudden appearance. The girl had appeared out of nowhere.

Serenity lifted her hand and the spell faded quickly. Hayden recovered, his anger returning and now refocused on this interfering girl!

"And who the hell do you think you are!" Hayden spat turning on the new comer.

"Hayden, please, don't," Alex said before he could stop himself. Hayden's head whipped around to glare at Alex but Hayden said nothing and Alex looked at his feet, frightened.

"I, Hayden Leen, am your Empress," Serenity said, her voice icy. Hayden let out an uncertain laugh and was about to retort but Serenity kept him silent with her power so that when he opened his mouth no words came out.

Serenity held up her blue gem, which glowed as though there was a mini sun bound within. "Kneel, Hayden Leen." The boy did not hesitate, could not hesitate! Hayden lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head before her.

Serenity touched the Soul of Rakadin to the boy's forehead. Cool blue light erupted outward covering Hayden completely. His body began to shake and then he screamed a horrible, high pitched scream. The blue light became bright flames of fire that burned his body. Owin, Alex and Dante watched silent and terrified as this girl set their friend on fire and burned him alive.

But as quickly as they had come the blue flames retreated, absorbing into Hayden's body.

"Arise, Hayden Leen, New Dragon Knight of Rakadin, the Keeper of Death," said Serenity, her voice commanding and powerful.

Hayden stood once more but he was changed. His form had become taller, his muscles bulged. His clothing had changed too, now he wore a black sleeveless gi. His left arm covered in silver metal armor all the way down to his fingers. And upon his head was a silver mask, shaped like the face of a dragon its eyes glowing blue like the gem.

Slowly he turned his hands over examining them unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Now," Serenity smile darkly. "Who shall go next?"

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Ah part 2 down! What can I say about this chapter? It's freking long? It started out like 4 pages but then I started hitting all these tangents and adding details and well BAM, 13 pages. Meh. Most chapters won't be this long, just a lot to set up here. I considered breaking it in two but as I have stated before… M E H.**

**I'm going to try and shoot for Sunday and Wednesday publish dates. No promises though and inevitably stuff will go up when I feel it's ready.**

**More coming soon, please feel free to leave a review or PM me, to let me know what you think.**

**Next update this Sunday!**

**Starwin out.**


	3. E1 P3: Points of View

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 1: At The Edge Of Nothingness

* * *

Part 3: Points of View

* * *

"Thanks Hay Lin," grinned Will wearily as her Asian friend handed her a green frog-shaped mug, filled with hot tea. Will still looked under the weather. She sat on her bed, surrounded by her friends, hugging one of her many frog-shaped pillows for comfort. Cornelia put a soft hand against Will's forehead.

"Well, you look awful, but at least you don't feel hot," Cornelia said. Will shot daggers at her. "Err, I mean, you don't have a fever!" Cornelia smiled embarrassed.

"First Irma, then Cornelia and now Will," said Taranee interrupting thoughtfully. "The last time our powers were on the blink we nearly all got killed! And does anyone else hear that noise?"

Will's eyes opened wide in surprise, "That's my cell phone! Edward! Edward where are you?" Will called looking around the disaster of her room.

"umf meeer eeere!" A muffled voice called back, the words impossible to understand.

"We're on it," said Irma, giving Will a thumbs up and Hay Lin a nod. The two girls moved out into Wills room, searching through the mess and listening for the distressed cries of Edward.

"I got it! I got it!" shouted Hay Lin as she held up Will cell phone. "Oh, but it says missed call…" Hay Lin added disappointedly as she handed it to Will. Shifting her frog-mug to one hand and taking her cell phone in the other Will looked at the display.

The call log listed three missed calls, all from the same number, from the same person… Matt. Will smiled, he must have been calling to make sure she was okay. But then her heart sank. She hadn't answered him at all, maybe Matt would think she was avoiding his calls!

"Edward! Why didn't you let me know sooner!" Feeling angry at the phone Will spoke a little more harshly to Edward than she had meant to.

"I was trying," Will's cell phone answered back. "But you buried me in a pile of clothing! I'm just lucky cell phones don't have noses!"

"Hey!" exclaimed Will indignantly. Her phone had been snippety with her all week long. That was why she had stuck it in the pile of clothing, so she wouldn't have to listen to it complain anymore.

Will hovered on the verge of calling Matt back, but she would much rather not have to talk to her boyfriend with all the girls listening in. For Matt Olsen was Will's boyfriend. They'd started dating only a few months ago, but Matt had been Will's crush for the better part of the past year. Will had even introduced Matt to her mom, Susan Vandom.

Will's mind drifted as she looked at Matt's number on her cell phone. She remembered the last time the two of them had been together and Matt had held her gently in his arms. And how Matt had kissed her softly on the mouth…

Will suddenly snapped back to reality, her friends were looking at her smiling and Hay Lin was giggling.

"What!" Will said. She hadn't even realized she'd been blushing, or that she'd had a stupid look on her face, or that she'd been crushing the frog-shaped pillow in her arms. She was filled with a sudden horrible realization that her friends knew exactly what she'd been dreaming about just now. "Hey, wait a minute, you didn't all just see that, did you!" Will asked embarrassed by the daydream she'd just experienced.

Taranee shrugged apologetically. "Sorry Will, you were kind of broadcasting."

"So things are going well with Matt than?" Cornelia pried with a smile. Will felt her cheeks warm again.

Will was about to answer her blond friend but she felt a sudden shock. Will dropped both her cellphone and frog-mug as she placed her hands over her chest protectively. With lighting reflexes Irma shot out a hand. The mug crashed to the ground breaking to pieces, but the liquid stayed afloat just above the floor, still shaped like the mug it had been in.

"Uh, hehe, sorry," Irma said awkwardly.

"We'll have to worry about it later because right now…" Will pulled the Heart of Kandrakar out, it was glowing. "It looks like we are needed elsewhere!"

Will held up the Heart of Kandrakar and with a flash of light the group of girls vanished.

There was a moment of silence in the empty room. Than the ring of Will's cell phone broke the still as it buzzed against the floor. The caller ID read Matt.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

The Dragon Knights of Rakadin walked side by side, clad in their new form and armor. They all wore the same style of black fighting clothing, like they were part of some kind of marshal arts team. Each boy had a silver dragon mask covering his face, the eyes of which glowed an eerie blue.

The armor for each Dragon Knight was placed differently on their bodies. Hayden Leen's armor covered most of his left arm, ending in a full gauntlet of silver metal at his fist. Owin Ni's armor was the mirror image, covering his right arm instead, but both his hands were bear.

Alex Makson had no armor beyond his mask while Dante Tuberonie was completely covered in silver metal from head to toe, so that his black gi only showed between the joints.

All of them had become more muscular, slightly taller and they all looked a little older too. And the Dragon Knights all shared one last, frightening, feature. Large, leathery dragon wings that protruded from their backs.

The four boys followed Serenity as she led them from the portal, deeper into the castle. She had brought them back to her homeland, Rakadin. In her words, 'there was much to tell them, and little time for them to listen.'

The part of the castle they had arrived in was badly damaged. Entire walls had been reduced to rubble. Beyond the gaping holes, swirling, black storm clouds blotted out the sky, if there even was a sky, and poured down relentless rain.

"Incredible! Can you believe this!" Owin whispered as they walked. "Look how different we are! I feel like I'm invincible, like I could do anything!"

"Yeah, anything requiring math," Dante teased nastily.

"One day you'll thank me for my math skills," Owin said not perturbed at all. Dante looked away. Poking fun at Owin just wasn't the same as Hayden, Owin never lost his cool.

Alex tuned out Dante's non stop annoyingness. This sort of thing was normal. Although Hayden was usually Dante's target and it usually ended with a fist fight. But even Dante seemed to have enough sense not to taunt Hayden right now. There was something deadly in Hayden's eyes.

Hayden was the oldest of their group, he'd told them all he was 15 but Alex was sure he must be older than that. Hayden was also their self proclaimed leader. Often stubborn, callous and downright cruel, Hayden enforced his rules with beatings, of which Alex had received more than a few. Hayden didn't tolerate disobedience from any member of his pack. Alex respected and feared him.

At only 14 Owin was the most honest member of their brotherhood. He was always looking for the best in people. There had been many times that Owin had pulled them all back together when they had been on the verge of breaking up. Owin was a nice guy, caught up with a group of bad people.

Than there was Dante, 15 years old and a jackass through and through. He never missed the opportunity to laugh at his friends or others pain. It was somewhat of a mystery as to why Hayden put up with him. Alex didn't like Dante and he was fairly sure none of the others cared much for him either.

Last was Alex himself. He was the thinker of the group, even though he was the youngest at 14. He had smarts, as Dante so crudely put it, but few morals. He also had a mean streak. Cross Hayden and you would get a beating, cross Alex and you might not wake up the next morning.

Many people thought Alex was shy. However the truth was that Alex simply kept his mouth closed because he found when he did Hayden beat him less.

But Alex was more clever than most thought. It had been him who set up the transfer to the school in Heatherfield. His idea to pose as students from another country. They had been in Heatherfield for almost six months now and no one had suspected anything, or asked any questions that couldn't be explained away.

It was also Alex who had been able to negotiate the low price on the apartment that the four boys shared, though it was Hayden who provided the actual funds to rent it. Hayden hadn't said where the money had come from but Alex had the feeling it had not been obtained through legal means.

But what else could they do? It wasn't like they could ever have a normal life. They had to do what they needed to survive. They had been on the run for so long that the difference between what was right and what was necessary had blurred together.

They did what they had to. Alex told himself again. He never wanted to go back to…

Alex cut off the memory before it went any further. He didn't need or want to relive his past right now. As Owin always said, 'don't look back or you'll lose sight of where you were going.'

Alex's mind drifted back to the present, to their powers. The boys had always had these gifts, but so far they had brought only grief and a troubled existence. They lived every day with fear that their past actions would catch up to them.

Until today they never even considered that there might be a greater purpose behind their gifts. Everything changed when Serenity had found them. She'd told them who they were and what the true reason for their magical powers was. To become her Dragon Knights.

And as a Dragon Knight, Alex felt his strength increased a hundred fold. He wanted the chance to push the bounds of his new found magic. To see just exactly what he could do, what they could do…

Curious about his magic, Alex looked down at his hand. He closed his fingers into an almost-fist and created a ball of pure white light. It burned in his palm for an instant before he let it fade away. Power over light. That was what Serenity had told him. He could control it and make it bend to his will.

Alex thought back to times when he had used his gifts. He had an innate power to influence other people. He had also teleported, while running for his life. And he had made things burn.

Alex's eyes flicked to Dante. Serenity had named him the Knight of Darkness. Alex tried to think back to when he had seen Dante use his magic. Once, the redheaded boy had created a hole in thin air for them to hide. Another time he had put out all the lights and power for a city block, so they could break into the market to steal food, without setting off the alarm. And he had used his power to cause Peter Cook to trip.

Looking next to Owin, Alex's mind kicked into high gear. The Knight of Life, that's what Serenity had called him. Owin often brought home fresh fruit and vegetables, though he insisted he hadn't stolen them. He had once made a lamp post jump two feet over to halt their angry pursuers. He had healed some of the damage that Dante sustained from his fights with Hayden. And Owin always seemed to know when something bad was about to happen. It would be interesting to see him in action.

And lastly… lastly was Hayden. Serenity's words echoed in Alex's head, Knight of Death. It made sense, even if it scared the hell out of him. Alex had seen Hayden turn things to dust in his hands.

"This place seems kind of empty," Dante said loudly breaking in on Alex's ponderings. "And kinda creepy." Serenity stopped walking and the boys halted silently behind her. She turned slowly to face the boys, her eyes cold, black and reflectionless. Dante gulped.

"It is all because of the Oracle," said Serenity. "This is his doing, his destruction!" her voice peaked with anger as she spoke. Serenity let her eyes fall closed and her voice silent as she put her emotions back in check before continuing.

Serenity held up the Soul of Rakadin, it projected a glowing window of light into the air. "This is the story of a place called Kandrakar, of the Guardians that it enslaved and of an evil ruler who imposes his will upon all other worlds…"

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

In an instant the girls were transported from Will's room to the white halls of Kandrakar. The Heart had also changed them into their older, Guardian, forms.

"I am glad you could come so quickly, Guardians" said a bald man with a strange circler mark on the side of his head. He was the Oracle of Kandrakar. The overseer of all worlds in the infinite universe. He was the man who sent the Guardians on their missions. He was the man who had incredible powers to do anything he wished, yet always sent the Guardians instead.

The girls of Witch had great respect for him. However, they often felt like the Oracle only gave them half truths while sending them on extremely dangerous missions.

But the truth was that the Oracle was not all powerful and he did not have all the answers. He could not simply do anything he wished, even though he could do much. And the fact that he gave the Guardians such important tasks was a sign of the trust he put in them.

"Alright, so what big ugly monster do we have to fight this time?" asked Irma, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. Cornelia gave her an elbow in the ribs. "Ouch!"

"Unfortunately, it would be much simpler if this were, as you said 'a big ugly monster'," replied the Oracle with his usual air of calm. Waving his hand through the air, a portal of light shimmered into existence, but the light quickly vanished giving way to black. "This is Rakadin, the world on the edge of nothingness…"

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"… at the very center of Infinity." Serenity said. Her blue gem projected the image of Kandrakar, hidden in the clouds of the infinite sky. "A long time ago, the leader of Kandrakar, the Oracle…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… the leader of Rakadin, Lord Kull, begun enslaving worlds," the Oracle continued. "He thought it was his right to…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… lay claim to every planet his great power could reach; to rule over them as their lord and high master from his thrown in the great and mighty Kandrakar!" Serenity said. "My father…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… Lord Kull…" the image floating above the girls changed to that of a rough, battle scarred man, with a wave of the Oracles hand. The man had very short white hair, almost silver in color. His eyes gleamed with the lust for power and evil intentions. "… fought for control of Kandrakar, he said that all of the worlds existed only so that he could take them."

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… of Rakadin, the Oracle said that all of the worlds were created so he could dominate them." Serenity explained to her Dragon Knights. "Rakadin…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… is but a shadow of Kandrakar," explained the Oracle. "Where there is light there is also darkness. Rakadin exists because Kandrakar exists and…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… Kandrakar exists because Rakadin exists!" Serenity explained. "And until Kandrakar is destroyed the universe can never be at peace! The Oracle will never stop…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… until no more evil can be spread from the halls of Rakadin," The Oracle said calmly. "With the help of the guardians of Kandrakar, I…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… murdered my father!" said Serenity angrily, her eyes burning with rage and loss.

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"Wait, wait, wait," Irma said interrupting. All eyes turned to her. She didn't look even slightly embarrassed by her obvious rudeness. "_You_ and the Guardians?" Irma said pointing a finger at the Oracle.

"Yes," said the Oracle calmly.

"_You_ never leave this place, _YOU_ never do anything!" Irma said annoyed. The Oracle looked stung by Irma's words.

"Irma!" Will whispered harshly to her friend. Irma was way out of line! But even still, Will couldn't help agreeing with Irma on some level.

"You are… correct," the Oracle said after a moment. Will felt her eyes go wide as she turned back to the Oracle. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "No member of the consul, not even myself, is permitted to directly interfere in the affairs of other worlds. But that was not so in the era when we were at war with Rakadin. It is a law that came directly from that time and those events.

"From that day on, only the Guardians of Kandrakar were permitted to travel to other worlds. _You,_ are our emissaries. _You,_ are our shield._You,_ are our sword."

Even Irma had no smartass remark to these words.

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"So, you're telling us that this Oracle person," Dante asked. "Doesn't even fight his own battles? He sends out some little group of girls to fight for him?"

"Yes," Serenity answered with a nod. "These are his Guardians," the images of the girls of Witch appeared in the air.

"I know them!" Owin exclaimed. "They attend the same school as us back on earth!" Serenity nodded again.

"I admit, I was quite surprised myself when I found out that the Guardians were so close by," Serenity continued. She looked up at the images of the young girls. "The Oracle will undoubtedly send them to cut Rakadin off from the rest of the universe once more, but this time for good."

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"Unlike Metamore, which was sealed behind the Veil, Rakadin was completely removed from the infinite universe for all of time. It should have been impossible for anyone to travel there," explained the Oracle.

"Well I'm glad that's over then," whispered Irma. Her friends shot her icy looks.

"Unfortunately, no, it is not over," continued the Oracle. "Someone has found a way to connect a portal to Rakadin."

"So, I guess _All of time_ isn't as long as it used to be," interjected Irma. This time even the Oracle glared at her and she grinned mischievously.

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"It was not easy," Serenity continued, ignoring Dante's remarks. "I was not even sure such a thing would be possible, the Soul of Rakadin gives me great strength but I was unsure if it would be enough. However it seems something in Heatherfield drew me to it, gave me more strength. Even so, creating a tunnel through the Void has left me drained and weak.

"And I fear it will have attracted unwanted attention. The Oracle is most likely summoning his guardians even as I tell you this. So, we must stand ready to defend. For while we can go back and forth from Rakadin to Headtherfield, we cannot travel anywhere else.

"The only advantage we have is the defenses of the Void…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"What's 'the Void'?" Taranee asked, her face losing its color a little.

"It is that which is beyond the infinity, the place where nothingness exists, the place where Rakadin is hidden," the Oracle explained.

"Oh that sounds like a great vacation spot!" Irma chirped in.

"So who was it that made this tunnel thingy through the Void?" Cornelia asked.

"Regrettably, I do not know the name of the one responsible, nor the extent of their power," said the Oracle, starting to look a little tired and old at last. "However nothing good has ever come of Rakadin. I ask that you journey to the city in the Nothingness and seal it away once more, Guardians of…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… Rakadin," Serenity said. "We will not have long to prepare for their arrival, I need you now, to help defend this kingdom, our kingdom. From the forces of…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… evil," the Oracle finished bowing his head.

"You can count on us sir!" exclaimed Will with a salute. Irma let out a disappointed sigh.

"Be cautious young Guardians," the Oracle rested a hand gently on Will's shoulder. "This might be the most dangerous mission I have ever sent you on…"

ͽ ∞∞ Δ ∞∞ ͼ

"… and I want you all to know that I have the greatest of faith in each of you, I know you won't let me down," said Serenity.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"So no one can travel to this place?" Irma asked. The Guardians followed behind the Oracle as he led them deep into Kandrakar.

"Correct," the Oracle said not looking back.

"Uh huh, does anyone else see a problem with this plan?" asked Irma looking around at the other young women. Will's face was strained, their mission hadn't even started yet and already she was worrying about what they might face.

Taranee looked a little nervous and Irma was sure the fire guardian was trying to find support in her friends thoughts. Cornelia looked the most passive, as though she could have cared less that she was here, even though that wasn't true. And Hay Lin looked downright anxious, as she did before every mission.

"I'm sure the Oracle has a plan," said Will supportively to Irma, and the rest of her team. "Right, sir?" she added, her eyes narrowing a little as she looked at the Oracle's back.

"There is a way to enter Rakadin," said the Oracle, again he did not look back at the girls. Irma felt more frustrated with him. "But explanations would do little good I'm afraid," the Oracle came to a stop, "you must see if for yourself."

The girls came to a halt in front of the Oracle and looked around confused. The Oracle had stopped them in the middle of one of Kandrakar's long hallways. There were no doors here, or even windows, but the bright warm light of the sun seemed unaware to these facts as it continued to pour in from the walls.

"Prepare yourselves, Guardians, this can be a little… unnerving," said the Oracle.

Before anyone could ask what the Oracle was talking about the world shuttered and the very air trembled. The girls looked around startled. The air shuttered again, this time visibly moving. And again, faster and more rapidly. Then with a great burst, all of them exploded into the air, soaring upwards.

Hay Lin screamed and the other guardians couldn't help but let out yelps of surprise. They were rushing through the infinite sky, pulled upward by some unseen force, they sailed away from the fortress of Kandrakar which was quickly falling away below them.

Higher and higher, faster and faster. Then without warning ground returned below their feet. Irma managed to stick the landing. Will grabbed Irma's shoulder for support. Hay Lin crashed down onto her back side, while Taranee face-planted into the ground. Cornelia stood splay legged looking as if she had only just caught herself from falling. But the Oracle stood just as calmly as ever with that stupid superior smile on his face.

"I did warn you," the Oracle said calmly.

"I hardly think what you gave us was a warning," grumbled Irma as she helped Hay Lin up off the ground. "So where the heck are we anyhow?"

"Behold," the Oracle said turning and holding out his hand. Irma and the rest of the guardians looked in the direction the Oracle was gesturing. "The gates of the Void."

Two great black doors stood where the Oracle had indicated. Menacing fog rolled down their surface. The wall immediately around the doors was burned black with scorch marks. However the rest of the room was the ever bright, solid white stone, like the rest of Kandrakar.

There was something foreboding about the doors and Irma had the strange feeling that if she got to close they would swallow her up forever. She was somewhat glad that Hay Lin was holding onto her arm tightly at the moment.

"That's a hell of a thing to have lying around," Irma commented sarcastically. The Oracle withdrew his hand, the serious expression on his face becoming more pronounced.

"What is it exactly?" Taranee asked.

"It is a physical connection to the Void," the Oracle answered calmly. "Only a few doors such as this one exist. It is very old and very dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Hay Lin asked with a squeak.

"What you see before you is a piece of the Void, stretched and extended to connect here." explained The Oracle. "Beyond these gates is nothingness, nonexistence and oblivion. Passing through them is not as simple as a normal door."

"Of course it isn't," Irma sighed.

"Whatever it takes, were willing to do it, sir!" Will said confidently. Irma couldn't help but smile at the redhead. She was in leader mode, it was almost like another special power for her. When Will turned it on she could project the strongest, bravest, aura of courage to her friends, giving them hope and the power to face any adversity. Of course when Will turned it off, she often crumbled like a house of cards.

The Oracle inclined his head. "Once again Keeper of the Heart you show great courage in the face of the unknown. But you will need more than courage to reach Rakadin safely. Once you go beyond these doors you must proceed strait ahead. Do not deviate, do not turn back. Do not stop.

"Go hand-in-hand, it is that bond which will protect you from the power of the Void. Stay together, trust each other. Rakadin lies on the very edge of the Void, so it will be a long, difficult journey.

"Be cautious, for if you were to become lost in the Void you would not die, but simply cease to exist." It was Taranee this time that let out an audible squeak.

"And there is one more thing," the Oracle continued. "You cannot come back this way. Once you go through the doors I must close them behind you."

"Than how do we get back?" asked Cornelia, her voice betraying the panic she was feeling even if her face still looked calm.

"The Heart of Kandrakar has the power to bring you home safely," said the Oracle. The bald man waited a moment, surveying the girls' faces. "Are you ready?

Will didn't even hesitate, "Yes sir!"

Moving his hand ever so slightly the Oracle caused the great black gates to part. The sinister fog swirled angrily in the air and a cold wind tugged on the girls, as if the door was trying to pull them in to the gaping blackness.

Will took a deep breath and held out her hand to Irma, who stood closest to her.

"Ready?" asked Will, her expression strong and determined. But Irma could see Will's uncertainty in her beautiful brown eyes. Will was looking for confirmation that her decision to go was the right one. Irma was happy to give Will the strength she was looking for. Grabbing her friends hand with a firm, reassuring grip, Irma smiled at her leader.

"Always, Red," Irma said. Hay Lin took Irma's hand as Irma extended it to her best friend.

Cornelia was about to take the next spot in the chain but she noticed that Taranee had not moved to join the line. She was holding her hands to her chest and shivering slightly, her face looked pale. Cornelia put a firm hand against the fire guardians back.

"Come on, Taranee. You'll be fine, we'll be right here with you," Cornelia said guiding her dark skinned friend closer to the group. Hay Lin extended her hand to Taranee and beamed at her supportively. With trembling fingers Taranee took Hay Lin's hand in her own. Cornelia took gentle hold of the fire guardian's other hand, pulling it away from her chest.

"Alright," Will said as Cornelia gave her a nod that said she and Taranee were ready. Will started towards the door, towards the blackness, the other guardians trailing along behind her.

"Remember," the Oracle called after them as they got closer to the door. "You're strength is in the trust you have for each other."

Will plunged into the blackness vanishing as if she had never been. Irma did not have a chance to hesitate as Will continued to pull her forward into the darkness. One by one the chain of guardians vanished through the dark door, into the Void.

* * *

End of Part 3: to be concluded!

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**Authors Notes:**

**Alright only one more part in this arc, its gona be awesome!**

**Quick note on the above conversation jumping, I wanted to try something different. I thought it was a cool effect to get the two sides of the same conversations at once.**

**And damnit these just keep getting longer, I actually moved this last part from the next chapter to this one because part 4 was getting sooo long.**

**Ah well, I was going for very short, now I'll just have to go for short, there is just so much to say! What can I say! **

**Anyhow. Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I'm almost at the end of writing my first draft though it, now I'm going back though and elaborating on some of the events and tweaking some of the details to help it flow better.**

**If you'd like to leave a review that would be awesome!**

**"Part 4 – The Void" the final part of this episode will go up on Wed of next week. Don't miss it!**

**Starwin out.**

** Additional Note: One of my readers has brought to my attention the 'uncomfortableness' of the age gap for the boys (thanks KnightofFaerun!) as such I have decided to take Knight's advice and close the gap a little. Alex just got a year older (14) and Hayden a year younger (15).**

**More Additional Notes: Due to a formatting problem with FFNet I've had to go thru and remove all my triple dashes I used for scene breaks, but I found something kewler to replace them with.**


	4. E1 P4: The Void

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

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Episode 1: At The Edge Of Nothingness

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Part 4: The Void

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Will could feel Irma's hand in her's, but nothing beyond that as if all her senses had turned off. Had it not been for her friend's firm, reassuring, grip Will might have thought that she had simply stopped existing.

Even with her eyes open Will couldn't see anything. There was no light here and Will had the odd sensation that even if there had been, this place would have looked exactly the same. She felt that there was nothing here. That this place was completely empty, except for them.

Will wanted so desperately to look back, to see her friends behind her, to make sure they were still there and that they were alright, but she knew she must not. Will wasn't about to risk their lives by losing her bearings. No, she had to keep looking forward, going forward.

They had only been walking for a few minutes when strange noises began to emanate from somewhere in the chain of girls.

"Ouch, Taranee," Hay Lin's voice sounded distant as if she wasn't just a few feet behind Will but instead a hundred yards away. "Calm down."

"Hey, stop pulling back there," Irma shouted. Irma sounded much closer, like her mouth was next to Will's ear.

"I want to go back!" shouted Taranee her voice sounded terrified and very faint, "Please we have to go back!"

"We can't," said Will not looking over her shoulder. "The Oracle said we couldn't turn back."

"Please, Will I don't like it here, this place is wrong! It's so wrong!" Taranee shouted, this time her voice echoing in the nothingness.

"Taranee stop squirming!" came Cornelia's worried whispers. Will could only imagine what was going on behind her. Damn it, this was her fault, she should have known this dark place would adversely affect the fire guardian. She should have put Taranee up with her instead of in the back. At least Cornelia had the foresight not to let Taranee be last.

"Taranee, just stay calm!" Will said trying to fill her voice with as much reassurance as she could, but she thought she sounded a little frightened herself. "It can't be that far we just have to hold on a little longer."

"We're right here with you!" Irma said. "We won't let you go!"

"No! No! NO!" Taranee shouted. Will felt a sudden, sharp, electrical pain shoot through her arm. Taranee and Cornelia's screams filled Wills head. And then there was nothing, the terrified cries had been silenced abruptly.

"Taranee! TARANEE!" Hay Lin shouted. Will stopped roughly and Irma crashed into her back.

"What's wrong!" Will cried. She almost turned her head to look back but Will caught herself. Using all her courage she continued to stare determinately forward, into the oblivion. 'Or maybe, all your cowardice,' Will thought.

"Taranee pulled away from me!" Hay Lin cried panicked. "Their gone! Their just completely gone! We have to go back, we have to find them!"

"No," hissed Irma, she sounded like she was exerting a great effort of her own to hold onto Hay Lin, who was struggling to get free. Will could feel Hay Lin pulling at Irma's arm. "Damn it Hay Lin, stop it!"

Will's head was starting to throb with blood. 'There gone!' her brain shouted 'There gone and it's your fault!' Will shook her head trying to turn away the thoughts. "No," Will whispered. "They can't be…" 'You killed them! They trusted you to lead them, to keep them safe and you failed!'

"TARANEE! CORNELIA!" Will shouted in her mind as she pushed her dark misgivings away. Taranee had the strongest telepathic ability, if there was anyone Will would be able to reach it would be her! "TARANEE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Nothing but silence. Will was about to try again but the same shock of pain ran through her arm once more.

"HAY LIN, NO!" Irma shouted but Hay Lin's cry was cut off before it even escaped her lips.

Three friends… all gone in an instant…

"Irma," Will whispered her voice choked. "We have to keep going." Will felt Irma squeeze her hand tightly. There were tears on Will's cheeks. She couldn't believe what she was saying, but she knew what she had to do.

They couldn't stay here, they couldn't go back.They had to keep moving, they had to keep going forward.

Will took a step, expecting Irma to yank her back or protest like Hay Lin had, but Irma did neither. She followed Will without so much as a sound. Her hand, the only thing, to remind Will that Irma was even there.

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Irma was unsure how long they had been walking. There seemed to be no concept of time or space in this place. No concept of self. The only thing that was keeping her from breaking down was Will's tight grip on her hand.

She couldn't think about anything but Will. She had to keep her thoughts there, on the girl that was right in front of her, on the girl she couldn't see. On her friend who she gave all her loyalty to, on her leader that she followed with all her heart… on the person that had let three of their friends…

NO! No, Irma wasn't going to go down that road. Will was doing what she did best, making the hard choices when they needed to be made. Irma knew that Will didn't ask to be their leader, didn't ask to have to make the impossible decisions.

There was no doubt in Irma's mind that whatever Will decided, she would follow. Her friend led with the greatest love for her companions. If it was hard for Irma to leave their friends behind, Will must be dieing of agony right now.

Suddenly burning, light stung Irma's eyes. She almost closed her eyelids but she forced them to stay open. She had been in that darkness too long and Irma never wanted to close her eyes again for fear of remembering the nothingness.

Irma felt arms suddenly embrace her tightly. She felt Will crying on her shoulder, even though she still couldn't see her yet.

"I left them!" Will whimpered into the water guardians neck. "I left them behind!" Irma put her arms around Will, holding her gently and trying to sooth her grief. Irma wanted to say something, anything! Even an inappropriate joke! But nothing came to mind. So she just continued to hold Will.

At last Irma's voice returned to her. "We have to stay focused, we didn't come to the land of happy-fun-time remember?" Will let out a whimper but didn't pulled back.

"The others have to be some place," Irma said reassuringly holding her friend.

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Hay Lin was falling through nothingness, plummeting into the void. This was worse than the darkness. Worse than anything she ever could have imagined in her darkest nightmares.

Silence pressed against Hay Lin's ears and her fingers touched nothing. There was no air here, no light, no time.

Hay Lin felt like she was empty, like her whole body was empty. She wasn't dead, but she wasn't alive either. She simply didn't exist, as if she was a vague idea that had been causally forgotten.

She wanted to curl into a little ball and give up; to join the nothingness so that her memories of everything else would not burn her like they did. But something stopped her. Some thought held her from letting go. Irma. What would Irma say if Hay Lin just gave up?

She wanted to exist, she wanted to be real! She wanted to be Irma's friend forever!

Sharply Hay Lin took a breath and her eyes snapped open. For a brief instant she was blinded by stinging light. She cried with joy that she felt anything at all.

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The first thing Taranee was aware of was the rain. She could hear it thundering down all around her, like they were under a waterfall. Although she felt damp Taranee didn't feel any rain drops splashing her at the moment.

Taranee blinked. Her head hurt and her body ached with a dull pain. It took her a moment to realize that she was in the arms of her friend, Cornelia. The earth guardian was holding Taranee tightly against her chest as though she were an infant child.

Cornelia had her eyes closed, her face looked pale and taut with the markings of bad dreams. Her head was tilted to one side and her long blond hair was a terrible mess. The two girls were huddled under some kind of stone arch. From the looks of it Taranee guessed that Cornelia had made this protective shelter for them.

"Cornelia," Taranee whispered, her throat was sore as though she had been yelling. Cornelia did not wake but her hold on Taranee tightened as though she were squeezing a large stuffed animal. It didn't hurt, but it did feel, awkward. "Cornelia," Taranee tried again.

This time Cornelia's eyes opened, they were red like she had been crying.

"TARANEE!" Cornelia exclaimed. With crushing force she pulled the fire guardian into an even tighter embrace, pressing her cheek against Taranee's forehead. "You're all right! Thank the heavens you're all right!"

Taranee felt confused. Why shouldn't she be alright?

"Yeah, I'm fine," Taranee said. "Where are the others?" Cornelia's face fell and her mouth twitched as tears leaked from the edge of her eyes.

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"They aren't dead!" Irma insisted. Will had moved away, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. She had her back to Irma not wanting her friend to see the guilt behind her eyes.

"I can't feel them at all Irma," Will whispered. "Ever since we became guardians, I've felt something; an invisible connection to all of you. But now…. Now I can't feel Hay Lin… I can't feel Taranee… I can't feel Cornelia..." Will's voice trailed off

"I know in my heart that they're fine!" Irma shouted back starting to feel a little frustrated with her friend. Will's leader switch had just flipped off and she was starting to crumble apart.

"You don't understand," Will cried her voice shaking, "There gone and it's all my fault."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Irma yelled. Will looked startled by Irma's sudden rage. "HAY LIN IS FINE! YOU'LL SEE! SHE'S… SHE'S…" Irma's voice broke. Will rushed to her friend taking her in a hug before Irma could pull away. This time the embrace was for Irma, even as horrible as Will felt she still had strength to give to her friends.

"I'm sorry Irma," Will whispered. "I shouldn't have said that. I don't know why this thing picked me. I'm such a lousy leader!"

"No you aren't!" said Irma indignantly. She held Will out at arms length so she could look into the redhead's brown, beautiful, eyes. "Don't ever say that! You've got the hardest job of any of us and you're doing the best you can!"

"What if my best isn't good enough!" Will asked almost crying it. Irma didn't have any words to say to that. Will looked away.

"How touching," remarked a cold voice. Will and Irma pulled apart, both of them automatically readying for battle. A young girl with silver hair advanced slowly towards them, a smile across her lips that did not reach her black, reflectionless, eyes.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Hay Lin spread out her hands, struggling to push herself up. Her arms felt strange. Her whole body felt strange. It was like she had never used it, like she was in a completely foreign body. Each touch, each sensation was new, yet distantly familiar.

With a great effort and the help of the wall Hay Lin managed to get to her feet. The stone her fingers touched was ice cold but she didn't pull away, any sensation was better than none right now. Hay Lin looked around examining the place where she had awoken.

As her eyes moved around the rest of the room only one thought entered her head, 'This place seemed really, really familiar, like she had been here before.' Sudden realization struck the air guardian. Kandrakar! This place looked exactly like Kandrakar! Except darker and creepier… way creepier.

But this room looked exactly like the consul chambers of Kandrakar, if the Oracle had decided to paint it black. Some of the columns around the outside of the room were broken and the sky outside was dark and heavy with rain.

Hay Lin's thoughts suddenly snapped back to the reality. The others! Where were her friends?

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"I don't know," said Cornelia. She looked horribly pale. Taranee had never seen Cornelia in such a state. "I… I was barely able to get us out of there…"

"Out of where? What happened?" Taranee asked. Again Cornelia's mouth twitched. She took a deep breath and Taranee could feel he friend's chest lift her body a little.

"After you let go of the others something happened to me," Cornelia said. "I felt like I didn't want to exist anymore, I felt like I didn't exist. The world just vanished and there was nothing, not even me…"

Taranee's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't recall any of that, only horrible fear and pain and… oh god she had let go of Hay Lin! That was the last thing she remembered. She had let go! What had she done!

"But then I felt your hand," continued Cornelia, interrupting her friends thoughts. Cornelia's face brightened a little as she recalled the feeling. "And I couldn't give up, wouldn't give up. And then I was there again, I existed again! So, I picked you up and ran. Ran as fast as I could until the nothingness went away… but… but I'm so sorry…"

Again Taranee was confused. What could Cornelia be sorry about? It sounded like the earth guardian had saved her life!

Cornelia's eyes flicked down Taranee's body and through her telepathic link Taranee felt a jarring thought.

Almost not wanting to look at what might have happened to her, Taranee turned her eyes slowly down her body to see what was wrong. Sharply, she inhaled a cold breath of air as she got the first glimpse of her state.

The left half of her body was gone! Completely gone as though it had been cut away with a sharp knife! Taranee almost fainted. But she somehow managed to hold on, fighting back the bile that was rising in her throat.

She could still feel her leg, feel her arm! She tried moving them. She could feel them moving, but there was nothing there. Her brain just couldn't process it. Again and again she lifted her arm that no longer existed and moved her leg that had been cut away.

"I tried to heal you," Cornelia said her voice cracking, "I really did but… but …" Cornelia broke down into sobs against her friend.

Taranee hardly noticed as she continued to look at her missing limbs and body… Impossible… it was just impossible…

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"So the Oracle has set his guardians upon us once more," Serenity said quietly eyeing the two girls. They both stood ready to fight but Serenity just watched them. "And what is my crime this time?"

"What?" Will asked, she looked shocked by the question.

"Surely the Oracle gave you a reason for coming to kill me," Serenity said.

"We didn't come to kill anyone!" Will said shocked at the very notion. "We don't even know who you are!"

Serenity bowed. "I am Serenity, the Empress of Rakadin," the girl announced, her voice was strong and sure. Will and Irma shot each other sideways looks. "It would seem that the Oracle has told you very little, or more likely simply lied to you. As he has done to the many who have come before you."

"What do you mean?" Will asked. This girl hardly seemed to be the great, terrible evil that the Oracle had made her out to be. Will was starting to have doubts about coming here in the first place.

Serenity locked eyes with Will. Will felt a strange sensation, much like she often did when she talked with Taranee telepathically. The feeling was gone almost instantly as Serenity looked away.

"For thousands of years the Oracle has used the guardians to conquer other worlds," Serenity said.

"What? No way!" Irma said waving off the girls words.

"Do you think that all of the worlds in the infinite universe willingly submitted themselves to the rule of the Oracle?" Serenity asked.

"The Oracle doesn't…" Will started.

"Doesn't he?" remarked Serenity. "Doesn't he interfere in the affairs of other worlds when it suits him? Hasn't he sent you out many times to fight any who oppose him?"

"It isn't like that!" Irma quipped. "We fight the bad guys!"

"You fight the people the Oracle tells you are bad…" Serenity countered.

"Hey, Phobos wasn't exactly the nicest guy and neither was Nerissa!" Irma retorted.

"Are they the only ones you have ever fought?" Serenity asked pointedly. The answer was no. They had fought a lot of bad guys but… but Will couldn't help but feel that some of the people they'd had to fight against…

"No," Will said. Irma looked at her friend with a little surprise. Will looked back at Irma. "Come on Irma, we all know that there is more that the Oracle isn't telling us. Things he is deliberately hiding. And we sure as hell don't know the story behind every enemy we have ever fought."

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Serenity couldn't help but smile, it had been so easy to influence the Keeper of the Heart. Her mind was so fragile at the moment and she already mistrusted the Oracle so much.

Serenity continued. Trying to get Will to look her in the eye again so that she could push the last lingering bit of loyalty to the Oracle completely from the girls mind.

"Join me," Serenity said, her eyes locked on Will. "Together we can stop the Oracle." Will's eyes met Serenity's again. Serenity focused all her concentration into the assault. 'Join me, join me, join me!'

Will looked at her for a long moment and then blinked hard and turned her head away. Serenity was so surprised she let it show on her face.

"Ah," moaned Will, grabbing her face in her hand. "What… what the hell!" Will looked back at Serenity but didn't look into her eyes. "What did you just try to do to me?" Irma move protectively between Will and Serenity.

"You shouldn't have resisted me," whispered Serenity coldly. "I'm sorry that we have to do this the hard way," Footsteps echoed from behind her and out of the darkness two boy's clad in silver armor came to her sides.

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Irma examined the new opponents that had arrived. The only thing she could think of was that they looked a lot like ninjas! Irma couldn't help but smile, she always thought of herself like a pirate!

"Just because you've got on the ugliest masks I've ever seen, doesn't mean we'll take it easy on you!" Irma taunted. Her opponents didn't even seem to have heard her.

'So, Three against two?' Irma thought to herself. 'That really doesn't seem fair. Maybe Will should sit this one out.' Irma looked at Will, their eyes connected and Irma knew that Will was okay to fight.

"On Three?" Irma asked telepathically.

"On Three." Will answered straitening up. "One…"

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"Take them," Serenity said softly as she stepped back from her Dragon Knights, "and try not to kill them."

The guardians suddenly jumped apart from each other. The water guardian launched a spear of water at the Dragon Knights while the Keeper of the Heart released a blast of lightning. Both Alex and Dante were already reacting to the attacks.

Alex sent out a bolt of bright light that vaporized the water on contact. The light burned a small hole in the wall behind Irma, just missing the water guardian.

Dante held out his hand and created two identical portals of darkness. Will's lightning attack jumped through one and out the other. The second portal had been placed behind Will so that her own attack struck her. She cried out in pain and crashed to the ground instead of rolling to her feet like Irma had.

"WILL!" shouted Irma. She hadn't even noticed that her attack had been completely obliterated. The water guardian put her hands together like she was firing a gun. "I'll make you pay for that you ugly piece of…"

Alex suddenly appeared right in front of Irma. He had moved in an eye blink, closing the distance in an instant. Irma didn't even have time to realize what had happen. With a blur of motion his fist connected with her stomach. The force of the blow was so strong it lifted Irma off the ground and threw her backwards into the wall.

She crashed into the black stone hard enough to leave cracks in the wall where her body had impacted. She fell to her hands and knees with a grunt. It was a good thing her guardian power made her more durable. If she had been just a regular 13 year-old-girl, such an attack might have killed her.

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Owin, Dragon Knight of Life, sat alone on the black stone floor, his eyes closed and his fingers pressed against the cool marble. Behind his closed eyelids Owin could see many other rooms of the kingdom. Rakadin seemed endless and empty.

But then he saw her, the air guardian. She was alone in a large circler room. She looked unstable on her feet and she seemed unaware that anyone was watching her.

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Hay Lin steadied herself again, why did her legs feel so strange? Her balance so off? Hay Lin shivered, she had just had the strangest feeling, like someone was watching her. Turning her eyes and head slowly Hay Lin looked behind her and let out a cry of surprise.

Someone was watching her. Or rather something! Set in the black stone of the wall was an eye the size of a softball. At first she thought it had been carved their, but it blinked.

Reflexively she launched a burst of air at the eye. It looked surprised for a moment but managed to close just as the wind impacted with the wall. Hay Lin watched as the eye sank away back into the stone.

It had been the creepiest thing she had ever seen! At least up until that moment. Emerging slowly from the floor, arms, torsos and heads formed out of the stone, like people covered in tar.

Hay Lin backed away but a newly forming marble hand caught her leg. All around her the room was coming to life as hundreds of stone monsters rose out of the eerie black floor.

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Hayden walked through the pounding rain, his wings blocking some of the down pour. This place was desolate. The ground was flat in all directions, without the faintest signs of life or even protrusions from the smooth soil. Although the rain fell in heavy sheets it did not collect in any visible form nor did it make the ground soft.

A normal person would be hard pressed to see even a dozen feet in this storm, but through the eyes of his mask Hayden could see more than any normal person. He could see the shimmering outlines of his targets.

When Hayden had departed Rakadin the guardians had been but pin pricks of white light on the horizon. Now he could clearly see their distinctive colors. The fire guardian, a harsh yellow-red blaze and the earth guardian a soft green glow.

Hayden stopped more than a hundred feet away. He would strike from here, without warning, without mercy. Hayden raised his hands. Black smoke twirled around his fingers as he prepared to lash out with his new powers.

However before he could, the ground shook and Hayden was given only a moments warning to dive out of the way. A blade of earth erupted from where he had been standing. The glowing outline of the earth guardian had gotten to her feet. The red blaze of the fire guardian remained behind her on the ground, propped against their lone sheltering rock.

The earth guardian raised her hands and a wall of stone burst forth from the ground. It was well over thirty feet tall and looked like it might encircle around them completely. Hayden pointed his hand at the wall, the black smoke coming quickly to his fingers.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"It… I don't…" Taranee stammered still unable to find words for her condition. There was no blood she could see and Taranee couldn't imagine how such an injury could have no blood, or indeed how she could have survived such a thing.

Tilting her head more to the side Taranee looked down the line which divided the missing half of her body. She had almost expected to see her own internal organs, like some strange half dissected body but instead there was only darkness. The same kind of absolute darkness that had been in the void.

Taranee moved her hand across her form to touch the hole that had once been her left side. Cornelia's face cringed with nausea and she looked as if she were about to throw up. Taranee was thankful Cornelia managed to hold it in.

Her fingers hovered at the edge of her missing form, almost afraid to go any further as if she might lose them too. But then she found the courage, or the foolishness, she wasn't sure which, to touch where her skin had once been.

As her fingers pressed against what had once been the left side of her stomach, there was a strange red glow and her hand touched flesh. For a very brief moment the red glow shimmered down her leg and along her arm giving them a ghostly outline before both faded back into nothing.

Taranee was just about to test it again when she heard foreign thoughts in her mind.

"Some one is coming!" Taranee said looking out into the blinding rain. Cornelia looked up hopefully but Taranee narrowed her eyes. "He is coming to hurt us." She added as the images she saw became more clear.

"Which way?" Cornelia asked regaining some of her composure. Taranee's eyes searched the rain as she listened for another echo of thought.

"There!" exclaimed Taranee. She pointed out into the storm. Without a moments hesitation Cornelia threw out a hand.

"Earth!" she shouted. Like the cartoon rabbit that tunneled underground in the TV show, a bulge of earth raced out across the soil, erupting in a huge spike in the distance.

Cornelia moved Taranee off her lap and leaned her up against the stone arch. Oddly enough, though half her body was missing, she did not fall over. Instead Taranee sat impossibly strait, like part of her was just invisible, not gone.

Standing, Cornelia summoned all her might. She forced the ground to rise in a great protective wall between them and their would-be-attacker. The ground shook as the defense of earth encircled them.

"That should hold whoever it is for a bit," Cornelia said sounding a little winded.

"No," Taranee said softly. "I don't think it will…" Almost as she had said it, the dark mist whiffed over the top of the wall and begun to tear it down with ease.

"No way!" Cornelia said watching as the wall crumbled to dust before her eyes.

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Irma only just managed to dodge the next attack as the Dragon Knight of Light punched the ground, his fist burning. The floor shook as the boy hit it. Irma hoped that the missed hit might have at least broken the boy's hand. But as he pulled away Irma could see that there was a hole in the stone where the Dragon Knight's fist had impacted the black marble.

Will staggered back to her feet, shaking her head as she recovered from being struck by her own attack. The Dragon Knight of Darkness had not moved any closer to her, nor had Serenity. Will stretched out a hand.

"Lets she what you think of this! Quintessence!" shouted Will defiantly. Again another bolt of lightning erupted from her fingers. The same portal of darkness appeared in the bolts path, with an identical one forming once more behind Will. However this time the lightning forked, avoiding the portal.

One of the forks struck Dante and he fell to his knees convulsing and letting out a gasp of pain. The other fork shot towards Serenity but at the last moment zigged away, racing around her and crashing into the ground behind the silver haired girl.

Dante struggled back to his feet, trying to shake off the shock. As Dante looked up he was met with Will's fist as her punch, brimming with energy, connected hard with the side of his face. There wasn't even a scream as Will knocked Dante off his feet and sent him sliding twenty feet across the room.

Will stood in front of Serenity, eyes defiantly looking at the smiling silver headed young woman.

"Stop this, we don't have to fight!" Will said. Serenity's eye's locked with Will's again. The Keeper of the Heart clasped her hands to her ears, as though protecting them from a loud noise that only she could hear.

Will let out a cry of pain as she sunk to a knee, unable to look away from Serenity. The two were locked eye to eye as though in some kind of bizarre staring contest. Serenity's face was frozen with focus as she glared at the redhead, her eyes unblinking. Will tried to turn her head away, to look anywhere else, but she couldn't!

"WILL!" Irma shouted again. Her momentary laps in concentration was all Alex needed. This time his fist struck Irma in the side of the face and the blow knocked her to the ground. She tasted blood on her lips.

"Submit guardian," Will heard in her mind. "you don't have to fight me! You said it yourself! Submit, submit, sub…" Will felt her body relaxing around her and she could see her reflection in Serenity's eyes.

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"Let go! Let go!" Hay Lin wailed as the animated stone men held her arms, legs and body. They said nothing. Hay Lin had been hesitant to use her full strength against them, after all whatever these things were they didn't seem to be trying to hurt her. But she didn't much like them restraining her either.

The flat, faceless head of the stone man in front of Hay Lin suddenly twisted and the softball size eye returned to gaze at her, its intent unreadable.

However this was enough to freak Hay Lin out and with a cry she let loose the full strength of the force of air. Even the strong stone hands could not keep hold of her as the tornado of wind built around her, sweeping them away.

The instant she felt the grips from the hands release her Hay Lin jumped into the air, her wings beating fast and carrying her up towards the ceiling.

A voice echoed from the walls. "There is no escape that way."

More stone monsters suddenly begun dropping from the ceiling. Although Hay Lin was very maneuverable, there were so many falling bodies that she couldn't avoid them all.

The first one caught her leg, its weight dragging her down, she kicked back and forth trying to shake it off. But just as it was about to fall she felt another pair of stone hands latch onto her shoulder and another around her waist and still another on her arm.

Unable to stay air-born with so much weight Hay Lin sunk back toward the ground. The waiting sea of arms took no chances this time. Hay Lin was dragged deep into their embrace, as the arms covered her completely in a suffocating blanket of stone.

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Cornelia watched in horror as her attack failed again. The Dragon, for that's what this man looked like in the rain, continued to advance on her, his eyes glowing a cold blue.

Lashing out again with two arms this time Cornelia sent hundreds of small stone slivers at her attacker. The black mist swirled up around him like a protective shield. The spikes impacted the mist disappearing into it. But like a magicians box of swords when the mist cleared the Dragon man continued to advance, not a single mark on him.

Cornelia was breathing hard. She had already been weak before the start of the battle and now she'd thrown everything at him, to no avail. She couldn't let him near Taranee, she had to protect her friend. She wouldn't fail her again.

Gathering all her remaining power Cornelia tried a new attack. Moving her hands apart Cornelia spread the earth open, creating a great chasm in the ground, beneath the feet of their attacker. Cornelia was sure that, had his face not been hidden by a mask, there would have been surprise in his eyes as he fell backwards. He let out a scream as he vanished.

Cornelia collapsed to her knees, her energy almost completely drained.

"Did that do it?" Cornelia asked Taranee, her eyes still looking at the hole. "Did I stop him?"

Taranee shook her head and whispered, "No…"

The black mist poured out from the mouth of the chasm. The earth it touched begun to crumble away. Rapidly, the small cut in the ground became a huge gaping hole that was quickly growing towards the girls.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Alex hit Irma again and again, one of his hands entangled in her hair as he punched her viciously in the face. There was blood running from her broken nose and her swelling lips. One of her eyes was closed. She tried in vein to attack again but as she lifted her undamaged arm Alex's foot crushed it against the wall. Irma could feel her elbow twist almost to the breaking point and she let out a cry of pain.

"Enough, Dragon Knight," Serenity said not looking up at Alex. Alex released Irma's twisted arm from under his foot and let go of her hair, dropping her face first onto the ground.

Alex turned to watch, his eyes falling on the helpless redheaded girl who was on her knees, her gaze still locked with Serenity.

"You have lost, guardian," Serenity whispered. "Surrender and I will show your friends mercy. Resist and… well…" visions of Will's friends flashed through her mind. For a very brief moment she was filled with joy, they were all alive! Her friends were alive!

But then Will saw what had been done to them, what was being done to them. Irma lay motionless on the floor her face black and blue with bruises, one of her eyes swollen shut. Hay Lin was slowly being suffocated by a mass of cold dense stone. Cornelia was writhing in agony, a Dragon Knight hovered above her, draining her life essence away, while Taranee tried in vein to make her fire spells work.

"Stop it!" pleaded Will, she was finally able to break the eye link with Serenity. Or maybe Serenity had released her, she wasn't sure.

"I'm not interested in them," Serenity said as she moved towards Will. "I will let you send them home, but you must agree to stay." Serenity looked intently at Will trying to see her thoughts. For a very, very brief moment Will Vandom considered refusing the request.

However Serenity must have seen this for she said, "If you refuse, I will destroy them. Starting with the water guardian. Choose quickly, for as you can see they have little time." Serenity raised her hand and pointed it at the defenseless Irma. That was too much for Will.

"NO!" Will cried. Serenity did not lower her hand. Gripping the Heart of Kandrakar tightly Will made her decision. There was no other choice, not against these opponents. Again they hadn't been ready to face such an enemy! Even though she didn't want to think it, Will felt her own doubt of the Oracle rising to the surface. "Let them go, I'll stay." Serenity smiled.

"See how easy that was," said Serenity. She placed both her hands over her chest and a blue glow burst forth behind her palms. Will squinted in the bright light and gasped when she saw the object Serenity was holding.

"That… that looks just like the Heart of Kandrakar!" exclaimed Will. The object was almost identical to the Heart, except that the gem was blue instead of pink. Serenity held it out.

"This is the Soul of Rakadin, I have asked it to release the spell that binds you here. You can use the Heart to send your friends home," instructed Serenity.

Closing her eyes and holding the Heart of Kandrakar Will asked the Hearth to send her friends back to Heatherfield, to safety. In a flash Irma vanished from the room, and although Will could not see the others she knew they were safely away.

But Will had no intention of staying prisoner herself. 'Take me home, take me home, take me home,' Will thought to the Heart. It began to glow, ready to teleport its keeper. However no teleport came and the Heart did something it never had before, it shocked Will. She let go of the Heart. It swung down on it's golden chain, bouncing against her chest.

Will opened her eyes. The blue gem Serenity was holding glowed eerily. "But you cannot leave yourself, Will," Serenity explained, her eyes fixed on Will. Serenity let the magical object go. It continued to hover in the air still glowing. It was attached to Serenity by a thin silver chain.

"Do not worry about your friends, they won't even miss you," Serenity said as she advanced towards Will. Will still hadn't gotten to her feet, she looked defiantly up at Serenity.

"My friends will come back for me," Will said. "Once they find out I didn't make it back with them…"

"But they wont," Serenity whispered quietly as she knelt down to come face to face with Will. "At least, not for a long while." Serenity's hand came to rest on Will's shoulder and Will couldn't help but shiver at the icy touch. Will couldn't figure out what Serenity meant by that, why wouldn't her friends notice her absence?

However Will's thoughts crashed to a halt as without warning Serenity darted forward, roughly kissing her on the mouth.

Will was overtaken by shock. She tried to pull away, but Serenity moved her hand to the back of Will's head and tightly held her prisoner to her lips. Will closed her eyes, sadness and anger racing through her mind at the same time, while Serenity violated her.

But there was another sensation. Will felt like Serenity was sucking the breath out of her. Suddenly, Will couldn't breathe at all. She tried to jerk away, to gasp for air but it was no good, Serenity held her fast.

Will's thoughts dulled, her arms became heavy and her eyes glazed over. At last Serenity released the young redhead and pulled away from Will's partially opened mouth, a small wisp of pink smoke trailing behind the silver haired girl's tongue. With a quick movement Serenity snatched it from the air, trapping the smoke in her hand.

"Kinky," Dante said as he rejoined the group, rubbing his jaw under the mask.

Serenity ignored him, focusing intently instead on the glowing essence in her hand. Gently she blew into her fist as though stoking a fire. Shimmering light shined between her fingers and Serenity smiled.

With a sharp movement Serenity threw the smoke out into the air. Quickly, it grew in size to become the shape of a person, the shape of Will. The smoke condensed, becoming solid, becoming an exact copy of the redheaded girl. Serenity had created a new astral drop for Will, one that was loyal to the Empress of Rakadin.

"You will return to Heatherfield," instructed Serenity as she got to her feet, helping the real Will, who looked to be sleep walking, to stand as well.

Taking hold of the Soul, Serenity gently pulled at it until a teardrop shaped fragment came free, leaving no mark on the Soul itself. Even though it had been only a small piece the gem quickly grew in size, like the astral drop had, until it was almost as big as the Heart of Kandrakar, however it remained blue in color.

Serenity held it out to the astral drop, as the fake Will took hold of the gem, a silver chain appeared. The astral drop hung the stone around her neck and tucked it into her shirt so that it would not be visible.

"The gem will help hide your true nature. But you must still act your part, the Guardians must not be aware that their Will is missing just yet." Serenity continued. "Keep them away from Rakadin and Kandrakar as long as you can. Do you understand?" The astral drop nodded. "Good, now go quickly before they suspect anything is wrong."

Holding out the Soul of Rakadin, Serenity sent the astral drop to Earth, than she turned back to the real Will in her arms. Will's eyes were still empty and her face vacant. Serenity stroked the side of Will's face.

"There is much to be done with you, my love," whispered Serenity into Will's ear. A single tear was able to escape from Will as Serenity embraced her last Dragon Knight.

* * *

End of Episode 1

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**Authors Notes:**

**Okay, that's the end of the first episode! There will be a week break between this and the next Episode. So posting will resume on the 23rd, SUN of next week.**

**What a heck of a chapter! I keep shooting for short but ending up with huge freking monsters! Meh, it takes what it takes to get where I need to go.**

**So… anyone figure out the acronym for the Dragon Knights yet? If not I'll give you big hint, there was lot of fore-_shadow_-ing for it haha, ah, I kill myself.**

**Seriously though it was originally in the name for this story but after writing like twenty chapters I dropped it, way too many stories based around their main characters having acronym's, and while mine do as well (because hell I wasn't going to change their names so far in) I thought I would make it less prevalent.**

**Anyhow. More soon. If you liked this story feel free to leave a review for me if you're so inclined, constructive comments are always the best, but so is honesty.**

**If you like my writing let me know so I can write more of what you like. If you hate my writing let me know so I can write more of what you hate! (haha seriously though, if you don't like the story tell me why, even just an 'its not for me' is helpful).**

**Starwin out.**

**EDIT: I made a minor edit to the end of the chapter. The scene in which Serenity is instructing the Astral drop. While I had always intended the Astral drop to have the gem Serenity gives her, I found that it needed explaining here, rather than later as I had planed.  
**


	5. E2 P1: Erasing a Life

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

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Episode 2: Lost Will

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Part 1: Erasing a Life

* * *

With a cry of distress, Will Vandom's eyes snapped open. Her body was sticky with sweat, and her mind was shaken from the horrible nightmare she had just experienced. Still dazed, Will hardly recognized her own room. At first she'd thought that she might be some place else. Someplace dark...

After taking a few deep breaths, Will forced her heartbeat to calm and her brain to focus. She was indeed in her room. The dim light coming through her curtains had only made it seem as if she were somewhere else. Still, she couldn't shake uneasy feeling that the nightmare had left with her.

A loud, startling, knock came from her door, and Will toppled out of her bed, dragging her bed sheets down along with her. "Will, honey, it's almost eight!" It was her mother's voice. Will's eyes snapped up to her alarm clock, which hadn't gone off, again! It was ten till eight. She was going to be late! She was already late!

"Damn it Kimi! Why didn't you wake me up!" Will shouted at the clock as she dashed around her room, stripping off her pink frog pajamas and searching out clothing that hadn't been lying on the floor for a week. Gathering up a shirt, pants and undergarments that she hoped matched, Will haphazardly dressed herself. She decided to skip the mirror, as it would only slow her down and remind her of how awful she must look right now.

Hoisting up her book bag and grabbing a comb to work out her hair while she walked, Will took hold of the door to her room and was about to pull it open, when she paused. Something was odd, wrong, missing... Will shook her head not sure what the feeling had been. For some reason she had been sure that she should've been arguing with someone this morning, but that was ridiculous, there was no one else in here for her to argue with...

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Letting the notion go completely and shaking her head to clear the thought, Will rushed out of her room, running the hairbrush through her tangles as she dashed past the breakfast table and breakfast. She hurried out the front door, calling goodbye back to her mom, whose reply was cut off by the sound of the door closing.

Will was late; really, really late! She was supposed to have met Hay Lin on the way to school today! But, at fifteen past eight, Will wondered if her younger friend would still be waiting for her.

At full sprint, Will crossed the street and stopped at the place she and Hay Lin were supposed to meet, the corner where their paths intersected. Will looked around. Her friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe she did go on without me," Will mumble to herself. Will turned to leave, feeling a little depressed that Hay Lin had ditched her. Although Will couldn't really blame her, after all Hay Lin couldn't be expected to wait forever.

"Hey! Will!" shouted a voice from down the street. Will turned around, surprised. She had just enough time to dodge the person barreling down upon her. Missing the hug she had intended to wrap around Will, Hay Lin promptly tripped and crashed to the ground. Will covered her eyes, partly in embarrassment, partly because she didn't want to see her friend fall.

"Ouch," said Will, offering her friend a hand up. "That looked like it hurt Hay..." Will paused, her eyes became unfocused and for a moment she felt like she had forgotten something... someone... "... Hay ... den."

"Owiee," Hayden said as he rubbed his elbow.

"You really should be more careful," Will smiled, suppressing a giggle.

"I know, I just got a little over excited that you were still here. My alarm clock didn't go off this morning and I didn't think you were going to wait for me." Hayden said, cradling his injured arm.

"Really? That's so strange!" mused Will. "My alarm didn't go off either! I just hope we can sneak into class without getting in too much trouble!" The two friends set off at a brisk pace.

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The gates to the school were being closed as Will and Hayden arrived. The two girls managed to get through just in time. Though admittedly, being sealed inside the school wasn't much better than being stuck outside.

Will bid goodbye to Hayden in the empty hallway. Hayden waved back with an exuberant farewell before crashing into a wall. Will couldn't help but giggle this time.

Hayden had classes with Irma, while Will shared class with Cornelia. Taranee was all alone most of today.

Will stopped outside the door to her math class, her hand on the knob to the room. Class had already been in session for 20 minutes. There was no way she would be able to sneak in unnoticed. If only she could turn invisible or something... but that was a silly idea.

With one last quick intake of breath, Will pulled the class room door open. She could hear the voice of their math teacher, which didn't stop at the creak of the hinges. Will peaked inside. Their teacher was currently at the white board, writing out some incomprehensible equation and explaining it as she went.

Moving on tiptoe, Will snuck into the room. The eyes of all the students turned to her, some of them whispering, others giggling. Will was almost to her desk when:

"... and that is why, Ms. Vandom, when we solve for **Y** you are so very late we find that it is because...?" inquired the voice of their teacher. The class laughed. Will winced, freezing in place before turning her head slowly to look in the direction of her teacher, who was staring at her, expecting an answer.

"I'm so sorry! My alarm..." Will tried to explain but her teacher cut her off.

"Just take a seat Ms. Vandom," said her math teacher, shaking her head in disappointment.

Will slouched over to her desk and crashed down beside her blond haired friend, Corn... Alex... What was it she had been thinking a moment ago?

"You almost made it this time," whispered Alex, trying his best to suppress a laugh. Again there was that odd feeling that Will couldn't describe. Like she had done this all before, but that certain things were not quiet right, out of place somehow. "But you really should at least try and come up with a different excuse, that one is getting old!"

"But my alarm clock really didn't go off!" Will whispered, her voice agitated. Alex shook his head with a sly smile on his face.

"So, is that why your shirt is on inside out?" Alex laughed as he indicated the tag sticking out from the collar of Will's pink, inside out, shirt. Will looked down at her chest, unable to see the logo that should have been there. She couldn't believe it! She had put it on inside out!

Will felt her cheeks warm and she sunk lower in her desk. It was going to be a long day...

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Taranee, Will and Alex sat out under their favorite tree, chatting away, when Hayden appeared, all alone and without Irma.

"Irma was... uh delayed," Hayden said, smiling awkwardly, trying to be nonchalant.

"Let me guess," said Taranee with a smile, "Irma bombed her geography test?" Hayden couldn't hold back anymore and his excitement burst forth.

"She brought her _math_ book with her to class," Hayden laughed bouncing up and down.

Irma walked up silently behind Hayden, her eyes narrowing as she listened to her friend's comments. Will was just about to stop Hayden from continuing to embarrass himself. But, before she could say anything a strange sensation overcame her.

Will watched with startled eyes as Irma changed, becoming thinner, taller. Her walnut brown hair shortened and lightened into a red. Her face and features blurred so that they were impossible to make out. Will closed her eyes and shook her head while an odd buzzing hummed in her ears.

"It's like his head is up in the clouds!" finished Hayden.

"Oh no Hay Day, the airhead is more your thing!" Hayden jumped at the sound of Dante's voice behind him. The others giggled as Hayden turned red with embarrassment.

Will opened her eyes seeing Dante rest a lazy elbow casually on Hayden shoulder. For a moment Will had thought that Dante had been... been someone else...

"But you know," Dante continued interrupting Will's thoughts. "I have kinda been feeling like I've been underwater all week long. Everything seems so distant..." there was a note of worry in his voice as he sat down joining the circle of friends.

Hayden knelt down beside his friend, putting a supportive hand on his best friends shoulder for encouragement.

Alex broke the moment of silence, speaking softly and not looking at anyone. "Actually, I've been feeling the same way, like I'm seeing the world from a long ways off." His short blond hair danced in the wind as if he were trying to escape into the air. He too looked troubled.

Will looked between her two friends before asking, "Do you think it might be related to our, uh, extra curricular activities?" Even though Will had said it, she wasn't quite sure what she meant by it. While they hung-out after school and did normal teenage things, like shopping and talking and stuff, she couldn't imagine how they would have made her friends feel ill.

Will shook her head, there was that dull buzzing again between her ears

Alex shrugged. "Maybe," he said, his eyes not quite lifting to meet Will's.

"Well I feel..." Will started, she had been about to say 'normal', but really she felt... "A little bit off too, I guess."

"Is that why you've got your shirt on inside out," smirked Alex, his expression seemed to lighten a little. Will grinned, embarrassed, and folded her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to try and conceal her clothing mishap.

"Hey! It's not my fault that my alarm clock didn't go off again this morning! Neither did Hayden's! We almost missed each other on the way to school," explained Will rapidly.

"That's the third time this week," Taranee said looking a little concerned.

"Yeah, well, Kimi..." Will began to explain.

"Who?" Dante interrupted confused.

Will opened her mouth to answer but than closed it again. She looked at Dante with uncertainly. "I... I don't know..." Something, was wrong, something was so very wrong!

There was a sharp pain in Will's head and for a very, very brief instant the whole world became a flat, white, nothingness. Noisy static buzzed in Will's ears but before she could cover them she was back, with her friends, under their tree.

"I really messed up my arm pretty bad!" boasted Hayden as he brandished his scrape. Will blinked and shook her head, her thoughts reconnecting.

"Well, other than that, how are you feeling, Hayden?" Will asked. Hayden shrugged as if to indicate she couldn't complain. "Taranee?" Taranee shook her head.

"Nothing like that, but I have been feeling... uneasy lately. It's been a while since we've gotten any challenging homework," Taranee said.

"What! And you're complaining about that!" Dante replied with mock horror that Taranee would even suggest such a thing. "So we haven't had to fight any evil monsters for a few weeks! About time we got a vacation!"

"What?" Will asked confused, turning to look at Dante.

"I said, so what if we haven't had any nasty homework for a few weeks," Dante repeated looking a little agitated. "It's about damn time we got a vacation!"

Will shook her head, this was wrong, all of it was so wrong! Standing, Will turned to leave but just as she did, pain burned all across her body, as if she had been hit by an electric shock. Will let out a cry of distress, and collapsed as her legs gave way.

"WILL!" Taranee cried out.

But Will never hit the ground, instead the hands of one of her friends caught her gently. Will lay still for a long moment before her eyes fluttered open as the pain dissipated. Looking up she could see herself reflected in the big black eyes of her girlfriend, Serenity.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

The flash of light dissipated quickly, leaving behind four bodies on the basement floor of the Silver Dragon. The Silver Dragon was a Chinese restaurant owned by the Lin's. It often served as the unofficial headquarters of the guardians.

In the semi-darkness of the unlit room, shapes could be seen squirming against the ground, moans coming from their indistinguishable forms.

One of the people suddenly sat straight up, taking several deep breaths of air, in loud gasps. Gradually her hyperventilation eased, and the gasping breaths became nothing more than slightly labored breathing.

"Is everyone okay?" it was Hay Lin who had asked the question. No one answered. With a flick of her finger, Hay Lin sent a wisp of air in the direction of the light switch. The round bulb, tethered by a cord to the ceiling, burst to life, revealing the room and the four normal teenage girls who lay on its floor.

Hay Lin looked around, her eyes wide and her face pale at what she saw. Taranee was in a sitting position, she was looking at her hands, they were shaking and her face was blank. Cornelia was curled up in a ball a few feet away from Taranee. The blond haired girl was shivering uncontrollably, as though the room were freezing cold. And Irma... Irma had her face buried between her knees, her arms holding her legs tight.

Something was missing, someone... "WILL!" exclaimed Hay Lin suddenly as she jumped to her feet. But immediately, she wished she hadn't, as her head screamed out in protest. Hay Lin put a hand against her throbbing temple, and sat back down.

None of the other girls seemed to have even heard her. It was then that Hay Lin noticed that Taranee was whispering quietly to herself, while she looked at her shaking hands. Hay Lin crawled over to her.

"Taranee?" whispered Hay Lin. Taranee did not look at her, but Hay Lin could make out some of her words.

"Gone, all gone... I feel empty inside..." murmured Taranee to herself.

Hay Lin's face filled with concern. What was wrong with Taranee? Hay Lin glanced at the other two girls. What was wrong with everyone?

Leaving Taranee for the moment, Hay Lin crawled across the floor on her hands and knees, stopping next to Cornelia. The slender girl was rubbing her arms vigorously, as though trying to keep warm. Hay Lin put a hand on her, but quickly pulled away. Cornelia was freezing cold to the touch!

Every uneven breath that Cornelia took came out in a wisp of fog, like she was smoking some unseen cigarette. Hay Lin pulled a couple blankets from a nearby storage shelf, and bundled up Cornelia. Although her shaking did not stop, Cornelia did manage to open an eye and smile appreciatively at Hay Lin.

At last Hay Lin moved to Irma. The young Asian girl was sure she must be imagining it, but she was almost positive that she had heard Irma whimpering as she approached her.

"Irma?" asked Hay Lin, concerned. She reached out a hand to take hold of her best friend. But Irma pulled away from her friend's gentle touch.

"Go away, Hay Lin," Irma sobbed. She _was_ crying! That startled Hay Lin more than anything else she had seen so far. In all the years she had known the walnut haired girl, Hay Lin had only seen Irma cry once, when her brother Christopher had "accidentally" killed her pet turtle, by flushing it down the toilet.

Hay Lin wanted to take Irma up in a hug, to show her that everything was alright. But the tone in Irma's voice told Hay Lin that was the last thing Irma wanted right now. So Hay Lin hugged herself instead, looking away from her friend, and feeling a little hurt.

What had happened to everyone? How had they made it back to the Silver Dragon? And where was Will?

At that exact moment the door to the basement opened. Hay Lin turned to see who had entered but the door had already swung shut and the person was hidden in the shadows as they descended down the stairs.

Hay Lin squinted trying to make out the person, but the bright overhead light made it impossible. She felt like she was one of those people in the movies, with an interrogation light shining in her face.

The person stopped at the bottom of the stairs, just outside the circle of light, as though debating whether to enter or not. Hay Lin held her breath, if it was her mom, or her dad, how would she explain this?

The person stepped forward into the light after a few seconds and Hay Lin let out a sigh of relief.

"WILL!" Hay Lin cried as, once again, she jumped to her feat and ran to embrace her redheaded friend in a hug. Will didn't have time to react or to warn her, as the younger girl threw her arms around Will. There was a momentary pause, in which Will was too shocked to return the hug or to speak. Hay Lin sniffed the air and then pulled away from Will in disgust, her tongue sticking out and her nose wrinkled. "Gross, what is that smell?"

"I landed in the dumpster outside. I think the Dragon just threw away a bunch of fish because..." Will sniffed herself, and turned her head away, sticking out her own tongue. "Well, because I smell like dead fish." Will forced a smile before leaning to one side. Her eyes widened as she saw the state of the other girls.

Cornelia was at last sitting up, the blankets pulled tightly around her. Some of the color had returned to her face, but she shivered every now and then. She tried to smile at Will, but failed.

"I don't know what happened," Hay Lin said as she followed Will's gaze to the others. "But Taranee seems to be the worst off." Will nodded and moved past Hay Lin to attend to Taranee. Hay Lin watched while Will spoke to the fire guardian in a low voice, Taranee hardly seemed to notice her.

So Hay Lin returned to Irma and sat down, cross legged, next to her. She fixed her friend with a serious gaze. As though Irma could feel Hay Lin staring at her, she moved her crossed arms a little so that she could peek out with one of her eyes.

"Go away!" Irma said. She had stopped sobbing, but her voice was still strained and uneven.

"No," Hay Lin said defiantly. "Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"Nothing's wrong," lied Irma. Hay Lin crossed her arms sternly, her gaze intensifying. "I don't want you to see."

"See?" Hay Lin said, her harsh stare vanishing in an instant. "See what?" Irma said nothing. "Did they do something to you? Is that why you're hiding your face?" Still Irma didn't respond. "Irma, show me your face." Hay Lin demanded, Irma didn't move. Hay Lin's glare returned and this time it came with a burst of impatience.

Roughly she took hold of Irma's arms and pulled them away. Irma cried out in protest but the damage was done. Hay Lin released Irma almost instantly as she saw her best friend's mangled face. Irma wrapped her arms around herself, turned her head away, and started to cry again.

Hay Lin's big, black, eyes filled with sadness. This time she wrapped her friend in a hug and held her tightly, despite Irma trying to pull away from her. What kind of a monster would do such a thing to her?

Hay Lin felt another set of arms wrap around her, as well as the touch of heavy blankets and blond hair. Cornelia had joined the hug, her face sad. In the moment that Irma's face had been revealed Cornelia had seen the damage done to her friend's beautiful features.

"Irma," Cornelia whispered into the water guardians brown walnut colored hair. "I can try and fix it... if you let me..." There was a long pause.

"Ok," replied Irma, her voice low, hardly above a whisper and missing any of its usual cheer. Hay Lin and Cornelia broke away. Irma did not show her face.

"I have to see it to..." said Cornelia softly.

"OK! OK!" complained Irma, her old tone of annoyance with Cornelia returning. Hay Lin couldn't help but smile. An emotion that was quickly washed away as Irma sat up, finally showing the full extent of the damage.

It was all Hay Lin could do to keep from crying out in horror. Irma's nose was broken, sitting lower and slightly to the left from where it should have been. The right side of her head, from hair to chin, was covered in her own dried blood. Her left eye was swollen shut and her right eye looked like it had popped a blood vessel. Her bottom lip was split open and her top lip had swelled to twice its normal size.

Cornelia did not flinch when she saw the damage to Irma's face. Though it looked horrible most of the damage would not be permanent, save for perhaps the broken nose which might not heal right, on its own.

"Hay Lin," whisper Cornelia. Hay Lin jumped, she had been focusing so much on Irma that she had momentarily forgotten Cornelia was there. "Could you get us some water and a towel?"

Hay Lin nodded fervently and went off to scour the basement for the items. She passed by Will and Taranee. Will was holding Taranee's left hand in both of hers. Taranee seemed to be a little calmer but she still looked so drained.

Returning fairly quickly, Hay Lin sat down beside Irma, and dipped the towel in the basin of warm water that she had brought. Deftly, with light touches, Hay Lin dabbed the dried blood off Irma's face. There was so much bruising under the blood and Irma winced with each touch of the damp towel. Hay Lin fought to keep her emotions in check; she had to be strong for Irma right now.

At last, with all of the blood cleaned off, Cornelia could see the extent of Irma's injures. Touching her soft fingers against Irma's bruised face, Cornelia closed her eyes. Her own face tensed with concentration as her hand began to glow with a soothing, white light.

Will came over to watch, with Taranee at her side. She was helping support the dark skinned girl, by holding one of her arms. But it looked more like Taranee just wouldn't let Will go. Will's face hardened as she saw what had been done to Irma.

No one spoke while Cornelia used her healing magic. At long last Cornelia pulled away. She took a great gasp of air as if she had been holding her breath. Irma turned to look at the other girls, her eyes desperate to see what their faces would show her. But both Hay Lin and Will had small smiles on their faces.

"So, how do I look?" asked Irma. Hay Lin jumped her with a hug.

"YAP!" she shouted as she squeezed her best friend tightly.

"I'll take that as, 'I'm not hideously scarred for life' then?" asked Irma casually returning Hay Lin's hug with one arm.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Will walked Taranee home, while Irma escorted Cornelia. Hay Lin had offered to help too, but it was already dark and they were going to have enough trouble explaining to their parents why they were out so late, again, after they were already grounded.

Irma waved fair well as she and Cornelia set off in one direction and Will and the absolutely silent Taranee in the other. Will and Taranee did not talk all the way back to Taranee's house. In fact Will was sure that had she not walked Taranee home the girl would never have gotten there.

Will knocked on the door, not sure how to explain their tardiness to her parents, or how to explain Taranee's sudden lack of speech. The bolts clicked, and Will's mind was still trying to work up excuses as the door swung open.

However it was not Taranee's mother, who Will had been expecting, that was on the other side, it was Taranee's older brother, Peter. He looked at the two girls, raising an eyebrow as if to ask what was going on. Will gave him no answer.

"Man, you guys are lucky our parents are out of town," Peter said shaking his head. "Mom would bust you for sure sis." Taranee said nothing; she hardly even looked at her brother. Peter looked at Will uncertainly.

"She..." Will said at last. "She had a really, really bad day."

"Oh?" asked Peter, looking back at his little sister, his eyes narrowing slightly as though looking for some sign that this 'bad day' might have left. Then Peter sniffed the air and his face soured with disgust. "Ugh, what is that smell?"

"Dead fish, had a little accident at the Silver Dragon," replied Will, thankful for the change in subject. Peter turned away, pinching his nose in protest to the smell. He left the door open for the girls to come in.

Will let out a sigh. She tried to let go of Taranee so she could head home but the girl just gripped Will's arm tighter. Taranee finally reacted, turning her head to look Will in the eyes.

"Please don't go," begged Taranee her voice was so small, hardly a whisper. Will had to lean closer to hear her next words. "I don't want to fade away, I don't want to." Will gripped Taranee's hand again.

"You won't fade away," said Will reassuringly. "I'll make sure of it." Taranee seemed to relax a little at these words but she did not release Will's hand.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Taranee had not been willing to let go of Will. So the two girls had sat down on the big couch in the living room together. It had taken hours but at last Taranee was asleep, her hand still tightly gripping Will's arm, and her head in Will's lap.

Will rested her free arm over Taranee's body as there was no where else to put it. The house was dark. Peter had gone to bed hours ago; he had kept far away from the fish smell that just wouldn't go away!

Will looked around as though she expected Peter to be spying on them, but there was only an empty house. Will was, for lack of a better word, alone. Now was the time.

Sliding her hand down the front of her shirt, the redheaded girl pulled out a small teardrop shaped stone. The stone was blue in color and fastened to a short silver chain; Will held the gem up to her lips and whispered into it.

"The Guardians do not suspect me," whispered the astral drop.

* * *

End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**And we're back! I hope you've enjoyed reading this installment as much as I have writing it!**

**First off, some shout outs to the reviewers who left me some great reviews so far! (in order of time of review) **_KnightofFaerun__Sokai__XV-Dragon__DREAMCOLE__darkshinraknight__anonymous fan_**, and **_Guardian's Light_**! Thank you for taking the time to leave me feedback! I value every word you write me!**

**Parts of this chapter might be vaguely familiar, as though you read it some place before. Well you have, it's the clip show of Episode 1 Part 2! Mu-haha!**

**I also added a few extra lines to the end of chapter 4, about where the astral drop got her gem. Originally I was just going to go with the fact that she had been created with it, but that really started to bug me. So if you'd like to see the addition it's at the end of "Episode 1 Part 4: The Void", in the section where Serenity creates the astral drop.**

**A BIG SHOUTOUT to my BETA READERS YOU ARE THE AWESOMENESS **

**Sokai**

**Waterclaws**

**Kuramas Girl Angel **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review to let me know what you think!**

**Also, and this one is important, I've at long last put up some forums so that people can discuss this and other FF I have written. I have no idea if anyone will use them (most likely not) but you're welcome to check them out. At the very least I'll be putting some topics up there and talking with myself.**

**Episode 2 Part 2 will go up WEDNESDAY so you better get ready!**

**I had some strange formatting issue when I uploaded this chapter so I had to go back through and fix it, but in edit mode its hard to tell what its going to look like when posted. So apologizes if you are reading this before I have had a chance to correct the problem.**

**Starwin out.**


	6. E2 P2: Defenseless

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Lost Will

* * *

Part 2: Defenseless

* * *

"Empress," whispered a distant voice. Slowly, Serenity opened her eyes. For a moment she was blinded by a bright light. The eerie glow filled her vision with a blurry reality.

Serenity was submerged up to her neck in a pool filled with shining metal liquid. Her silver hair, which usually hung down to her shoulders, had been tied in a knot atop her head. Clasped in her hands, she held the Soul of Rakadin, just above the water's surface.

Apart from the glow of the pool, there were no other light sources in the room, so that the walls and ceiling were impossible to make out. In fact anything beyond the pool of silver liquid was shrouded in shadows. So it was fortunate than that the person for whom Serenity was looking for was in the pool with her.

The keeper of the Heart was sitting on the far side of the water, directly across from Serenity. Her naked form was obscured by the moon-like glow from the shimmering, ripple free surface.

Serenity smiled at the young redheaded Guardian. So far everything had gone smoothly. Soon Will Vandom would have no memories left of her friends or her life. The only things the girl would be able to recall would be what Serenity forced upon her.

"Empress," whispered the voice again.

Turning her head slightly, Serenity glanced back to see the almost invisible form of Alex, bowing at the pool's edge. Slowly, Serenity climbed out of the water. Silver drops, like mercury, ran down her unclothed skin. Alex quickly lowered his eyes to the ground.

Serenity pulled a thin robe of silver about her body. However, against the brightness, it did little to hide the outline of her figure.

"What news do you bring, Alex?" Serenity asked kindly as she approached the boy, her steps leaving glowing footprints on the floor as she walked.

"Empress, the astral drop has made contact, the Guardians do not suspect it," Alex reported, still not looking up.

"I am glad," said Serenity as she stopped before her Dragon Knight. "Rise Alex," Serenity whispered softly, offering him her hand. Alex raised his head uncertainly and took Serenity's outstretched hand, so that she could help him stand. She was surprisingly strong.

As he stood, Alex couldn't hide the flicker of his eyes as they glanced quickly at the naked girl at the far end of the pool.

"What… what are you doing to her?" Alex asked. Serenity smiled kindly and glanced back at Will with a sad longing in her eyes.

"I am trying to help her see the truth," Serenity explained. "To help her understand her true purpose. The Oracle has filled her mind with many lies. But with time I can change all that. I can take it all away and give her something better.

"Alex," Serenity returned her focus to her Dragon Knight. "I want you, and the others, to return to Heatherfield. The Guardians must not become suspicious of the astral drop. Keep an eye on them but don't harm them unless you have to. Can you do that for me?"

The young blond haired boy paused for a moment, looking uncertain. Serenity put a hand against the side of his face and looked deeply into his soft green eyes. For a moment, she could feel Alex struggle under her influence, but as he saw himself reflected in Serenity's dark discs, he relented.

Alex bowed. "Of course Empress, I shall tell the others."

Serenity waited for Alex to leave. The moment he was gone her smile faded to be replaced by a scowl. She had seen the doubt in Alex's eyes. She had known it would only be a matter of time before her Dragon Knights begun to remember who they really were.

Briefly, she had considered kissing him. Just as she had done to the boy she'd encounter on earth, Martin or something… But that had not been pleasant, and Serenity had no desire to do it again any time soon, unless she had too. At least not to anyone other than Will.

There were of course other ways she could use her magic to change people, though none were as powerful as her kiss. Such a simple thing had power great enough to subdue even the keeper of the Heart. Without making the physical contact, her control only lasted so long.

Serenity licked her lips. Will tasted so good. And Serenity felt eager to experience the rush of Will Vandom again.

Turning back to the silver pool, Serenity disrobed before sliding back into the cold water. She waded across the moon-lit glow, stopping next to the dreaming Will.

"Only one more of your friends remains," whispered Serenity as she ran a slender finger along the side of Will's face and down to her chin. Slightly, Serenity tipped Will's head back so that she could look into her vacant brown eyes. "I have taken away the memories of all of the other Guardians. Even the memory of your beloved Matt was so easily washed away."

Will whimpered, trying to pull away from Serenity's touch. Serenity cupped the side of Will's face so that she could not turn away and kissed her sweet, pink, lips. Serenity could feel Will squirm for a moment before relenting and becoming still as her whole body fell under Serenity's control once more.

Serenity sat down next to Will and pulled her into a one armed hug, holding her gently. Then Serenity turned slightly and placed her hand against Will's bear chest, over her heart.

"I can feel the darkness I have given you growing," Serenity whispered. "Soon we will be ready to make things right, to put things back the way they should have always been. But now, it is time to visit the Oracle. To show him what power and unity really are. And you are going to help me Will."

Focusing all her energy on the subdued girl at her side, on the Heart of Kandrakar that slept within her, Serenity pressed even harder against Will's breast. Serenity's hand began to burn with a dull blue light, as did the Soul of Rakadin in anticipation of touching the Heart. Then, magically, her hand pushed through skin and bone, her fingers reaching for the Heart. Will let out a gasp of distress but she could not fight back.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

The Oracle stood next to Luba, a cat like woman who was protector of the Aurameres. It was not such a strange sight that both of them stood in the hall of the Aurameres, watching the five glowing orbs whirl around each other in a delicate dance.

Despite what outsiders might think, these five magical spheres of light were not the source of the guardians' magic. The elemental magic was inside each girl. The Aurameres simply drew that magic out, strengthened it, made it more powerful.

"Do you see why I have summoned you, Oracle?" Luba growled. The Oracle closed his eyes bowing his head with mild distress.

"She was almost lost to the Void," replied the Oracle, his eyes not opening.

"I have warned you before that the Guardians are too immature to handle such tasks," hissed Luba. "The girl nearly caused the Auramere too-"

The Oracle held up a hand stopping Luba. "Yes," the Oracle said calmly, "the Fire Guardian came very near to extinguishing the light of her Auramere. It used almost all its power to save her, to keep her alive.

"But," continue the Oracle as Luba scowled, "neither the Fire Guardian, nor the Auramere have suffered any permanent damage. Her powers will be very limited for a time, but she will recover."

"But if she transforms!" whispered Luba harshly. "Such a strain may kill the Auramere!"

The Oracle once more lowered his head, "Yes, I am afraid so. We must contact the Guardians at once and…"

"NO!" Luba roared. "You have the power, remove the Fire Guardian, the Auramere must be protected at all costs!" the Oracle looked sadly at Luba and shook his head. Luba's lip curled so that her fang like teeth could be seen.

"Inform me if the condition of the Auramere becomes worse," said the Oracle. "I must contact the Guardians and let them know that the keeper of fire must refrain from using her powers."

Quietly Luba watched the Oracle's back as the man walked slowly from the room. When she was sure he was out of ear shot she whispered, "fool."

Suddenly the sound of the Auramere's changed. To the untrained ear the wizzing and humming and buzzing that they all made sounded almost the same, but to Luba, who had protected them since the day they had been created, this change in pitch was the agony of a dear friend in distress.

She moved closer to the Aurameres, first afraid that the sound was coming from the fire guardian's light, but it wasn't. It was the pink orb, the one which gave power to the keeper of the Heart. It had begun to move away from the others and a black spot, as though it had somehow been burned, was now visible on its surface.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

The Oracle sat in the center of the consul chambers, deep in meditation. His mind was focused towards the Guardians. He knew they had not succeeded in Rakadin and that things had gone very badly for them. He just hoped his summons to them would not go unanswered.

The guardians were young, headstrong and defiant. When things went bad they usually blamed it on the Oracle and he was unsure if they would answer him this time.

The Oracle's eyes snapped open. He had felt something, someone forcing their way into Kandrakar. It was a power he knew, a power he had felt a long time ago, a power he hoped had been lost with the fall of Rakadin.

A wavy image materialized before his eyes, slowly becoming sharper until he could clearly see the projection of a young girl with silver hair and reflectionless black eyes standing before him.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"Empress Serenity," the bald man with the strange mark on the side of his head said. It was not a question.

"I am surprised you even remember my name," Serenity answered coldly. She could hardly look at the man, so strong was her dislike of him. _How dare he walk around as though nothing had happened,_ thought Serenity,_ as though everything was fine! And the worst part of all, his face… how could he…_

"So it was you who reconnected Rakadin," again, not a question. Serenity could see that her mother had been right when she had said that the master of Kandrakar had great power. Even still, Serenity knew her's would be stronger.

For Serenity had both the Heart of Kandrakar and the Soul of Rakadin at her command, something everyone in Kandrakar would soon learn at great cost. And even though she could not physically enter Kandrakar, for the time being, she could use the power of the corrupted Heart to defile it.

"Yes," answered Serenity.

"What is your intent?" asked the Oracle. At last something even the great Oracle could not discern.

"Words can not portray what I desire," Serenity smiled darkly. "Let me show you what it is that I want." Closing her eyes Serenity held her hands out to her sides. The walls of Kandrakar changed color very briefly, turning black and broken. The sky outside darkened with storm clouds and heavy rain that would never end. Then everything returned to normal and Serenity opened her eyes once more.

"No," whispered the Oracle and Serenity could see the slightest of cracks in his impenetrably calm façade. "Such a thing would…"

"Kandrakar and Rakadin were once the same," Serenity interrupted. "As you of all people should remember. And so I shall make them again."

Without warning Serenity launched her attack, her hand shooting out with blinding speed. There was no time for the Oracle to defend himself. Black crystal erupted from the ground, entangling his leg. He was trapped.

It had worked! The Heart of Kandrakar had obeyed her command! She had stolen enough of Will's memories to confuse the Heart, to make it believe that she might be its Keeper. At least, believe enough that she could tap into the Heart's power while Will still carried it.

"You have grown weak," taunted Serenity. "Without your Guardians you are just a defenseless old man. For all your talk you are nothing without their power."

Serenity attacked again, but this time nothing happened. Her first attack had caught the mighty leader off guard. But now that he was ready for it Serenity wasn't sure she would be able to directly assault him again.

Serenity cursed herself, she should have used more power in the first attack! Serenity forced herself to remain calm. She had not actually expected to be able to influence the greatest elder of Kandrakar at all, so she had held back much of her magic for her next spell.

Serenity smiled at the bald man. "I see there is still some fight left in you. But let's see how well you protect all of Kandrakar!" Focusing all the magic within her, within the Heart, within the Soul, Serenity began casting the most powerful spell she knew.

The Oracle's eyes widen as thousands of duplicate Serenitys began pouring out of the silver haired girl, each floated ghost-like and moved off in a different direction. The ghostly copies began attacking the other elders. The Oracle felt it instantly as elders all across Kandrakar came under assault.

"Stop this, Empress," pleaded the Oracle. "This cannot be what you truly desire, your mother never would have wanted..."

"Shut up!" Serenity spat. A few of her duplicate images flickered out of existence as her concentration was broken by anger. "You have no right to talk about my mother after what you did to her.

I'll never know what she wanted and every time I look at you I see my… I see the man who killed my father. Who destroyed my life. What I desire, is that life you took from me. And I want you to pay for your deeds."

The Oracle lowered his head. "Then take me, Empress, and leave the others alone."

Serenity shook her head. "Their suffering is your suffering." Even now she could see the agony in the old man's face as the other elders fell to the attacks of Serenity's duplicants. The elders were not warriors, not fighters and there was little they could do, even against the weakest of the clones.

"Oracle!" shouted Tibor, the Oracle's faithful advisor and companion. He was a powerful elder and had managed to defeat a few of the many images of Serenity. He came running to the Oracle's aid, his focus on Serenity, his intent to attack her.

"No! Tibor, stay back!" The Oracle cried, but it was too late, Serenity's hand shot out again. Tibor had no time to defend himself, he had not expected a magical attack of such force. The short man became fully imprisoned inside a large black crystal.

"Please, no more," the Oracle begged, his face stretched thin with pain and distress. For a very brief moment Serenity felt shocked by what she was doing. Was this really what she wanted?

The moment passed. "No, you will endure the same fate that was forced on me," Serenity said. "You shall be alone as all those you care for are destroyed around you. Until the time that I can unmake what was done."

The Oracle did not answer this time, for he was afraid. Serenity's eyes narrowed and she held up her hands. Energy swirled around her and the Oracle could feel her power rushing down upon him like a great invisible wind.

She would attack all the people who roamed within Kandrakar, trap them each in a gem like prison. It would have to do for now as she could not complete her final objective. For that, she would need Will, fully altered and completely loyal. Soon they would stand together and remake the world as they wished.

Screams echoed from the halls as the other elders each became imprisoned in a black crystal of their own. The Oracle could feel the anguish of his fellows as their voices cried out before being silenced.

While he had been able to protect himself, his strength was not great enough to stop Serenity's spell from affecting the rest of the elders. The only thing the Oracle could do was hope his thoughts reached the guardians and that they listened.

Serenity let her hands fall back to her sides at last, the many images of her fading away. The white halls were deathly quiet, save for the ragged breathing of the once mighty leader of Kandrakar.

"I shall leave you now, to enjoy your infinite solitude," said Serenity. Her image flickered and vanished. The Oracle was left alone in a decimated Kandrakar.

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**A BIG thanks to everyone who review chapter 5 (Episode 2: Part 1)** _Sokai__, KnightofFaerun, __XV-Dragon__, anonymous fan__** and **__Dai Makai_**. Thanks to all of you who took the time to write me your thoughts! **

**Thank you readers who have continued to with the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**So, Wow, yeah, this chapter gained a whole lot more. After re-reading some of the later chapters I decided I needed to add to this to help make things clearer later on. So I doubled the size of this part of the story. Sigh.**

**Anyhow, I've read over this thing way too many times now and I'm not sure I can do another pass of the chapter so this is going to have to be good enough. I know I can prolly do better but… but maybe I am just over thinking this one…**

**Anyhow…**

**BETA Reading by: ****Kuramas Girl ****Angel**** AND ****Waterclaws**

**They have written some great stories as well so you should go check out their works!**

**Don't forget to leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter as well as visit my forums.**

**Up THIS SUNDAY is Part 3! Don't miss it!**

**Starwin out.**


	7. E2 P3: Side by Side

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Lost Will

* * *

Part 3: Side by Side

* * *

"I said, good morning class!" Mr. Keck repeated to the unenthusiastic children.

"Good morning, Mr. Keck," the students echoed back, half heartedly.

"Well, as you might have guessed, we have something fun planned today!" Mr. Keck announced rubbing his hands together excitedly. "You're all here because you're looking for some extra credit, which some of you need significantly more than others."

The class was a strange assortment of several different grades and classes. Mr. Keck had been able to get permission to combine all of the students, that had signed up for extra credit, into one class for this special activity.

"There comes a point, in ever young student's career, where they must deal with, shall we say, the facts of life? So, I shall pair you up, male and female, and we will get started!" The whole class looked uneasy. A hand went up and Mr. Keck pointed out the girl. "Yes Ms. Lin?"

"Uh, sorry sir but what exactly is it that we're doing?" asked Hay Lin uncertainly.

"Diiiiissection!" replied Mr. Keck cheerfully. The class groaned. A few girls, Cornelia among them, recoiled in disgust.

"Clearly, this man has no idea what the word 'fun' means," Irma whispered under her breath. All traces of the damage that had been done to Irma's face were completely gone. Cornelia had done an amazing job with her healing magic. Even Irma's nose had been put back in its place.

The astral drop closed her eyes for a moment. So far everything had gone well. The guardians hadn't even questioned her about the events in Rakadin. Nor had any suspicion befallen her. Why should it? She was a perfect… copy.

Will's astral drop glanced at the oddly quiet Taranee sitting next to her. It had taken almost a week but Taranee was finally speaking again. More importantly she was no longer clinging to the astral drop every waking and sleeping moment. Although she still stuck close by the copy's side.

Not that the fake Will minded. After all she really was the redheaded girl that everyone believed her to be, in every aspect, except that she wasn't.

The astral drop liked her friends, Will's friends, and if she was to play her part convincingly why shouldn't she enjoy hanging out with them?

"Don't worry, don't worry, it will be fun! I promise! Everyone stand up please, I'll be picking your partners! So up against the wall over there please, yes just like that, and I'll call out your names and assign you a desk!" Mr. Keck didn't wait for all the students to reach the wall before he started moving from desk to desk calling out pairs of students.

"Cornelia Hale and Alex Makson," Mr. Keck announced, indicating a desk near the back of the room. Cornelia left her group of friends and made her way to the work station. She frowned upon finding her short, scrawny, partner. Cornelia couldn't help but roll her eyes unable to believe she had been paired with such a loser.

Mr. Keck moved on calling out more names and seating more students. Pausing at the desk at the end of the row, Mr. Keck took a deep breath before announcing who was to sit there. "I know this is most likely asking for something to explode but, Irma Lair…"

"Hey, did he just say I make things explode?" Irma whispered to her friends who suppressed giggles.

"…and Dante Tuberonie. Try not to set my room on fire you two." Mr. Keck said in a falsely serious voice.

"Hmmf, my element is water, not fire," Irma pouted as she sat next to the redheaded boy who had jumped onto the stool so fast that he was now spinning around.

"Don't worry Keck-ster, we'll keep the fires small!" Dante said coming to a stop. Mr. Keck moved on rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Next up, Hay Lin and Hayden Leen," Mr. Keck said tapping the work station. Hay Lin hurried over excitedly while her partner slouched out of the line of students, moving slowly towards the station.

The boy had a hood pulled over his head and wore a heavy leather jacket, with a sweat shirt underneath, even though it wasn't all that cold outside today. Both his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he looked like he had no desire to be there. However, his mood did not seem to bring Hay Lin down in the slightest as he slumped onto the stool next to her.

Mr. Keck continued on. "Taranee Cook and Owin Ni," announced the Biology teacher. A little reluctantly, Taranee left the astral drop's side to silently take a seat next to an empty stool. There was a long pause but no one else stepped forward. "Owin Ni?" Mr. Keck called again looking around the room. However, it seemed Owin was not among the students.

"He's out sick teach," said Dante as he spun back and forth on his stool, much to Irma's annoyance.

"Huh, I could have sworn…" Mr. Keck mumbled to himself looking down at his role sheet. "Well it looks like you'll be on your own, Ms. Cook." Taranee nodded somberly but didn't say anything.

Mr. Keck returned to his list, still unable to fathom how he had overlooked the fact that one of his students was absent, he was sure he had marked Owin in. He shook his head and continued assigning seats until it seemed like Will's astral drop was the only one left to be called.

"And last but not least, Will Vandom, the inspiration for our project today," Will's astral drop sunk lower against the wall as all the heads in the room turned to look at her. She felt embarrassment and panic at the sudden attention. She was supposed to be playing it cool, and the last thing she needed was the teacher putting her at odds with her friends… Will's friends…

"…and Matt Olsen," finished Mr. Keck, announcing the astral drop's partner. The brief moment of fear quickly abated as Will's astral drop felt her cheeks warm. What were the odds that she would get to spend an entire lesson with her boyfriend! Or rather, Will's boyfriend. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty about not being the real Will. But why should she? She was just as real as the real one was!

"Well, let's get started," Mr. Keck said picking up a large white plastic container. His first stop was Cornelia and Alex's desk. Reaching inside the container he pulled out a plump, limp, green, frog! Moans of 'Eww' and 'Gross' came from the students. Both Alex and Cornelia looked at the dead frog in front of them, neither moved to touch it.

Mr. Keck continued on, handing out one frog to each pair of students. As Mr. Keck turned from Irma and Dante's desk, Dante picked up the frog and held it out at Irma.

"Kiss me, I'm a prince!" Dante said pinching the frog's mouth open. Irma whacked Dante in the back of the head.

"Idiot," she sighed.

Hay Lin was busy adjusting her safety goggles, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth and her face screwed up in concentration.

"Uh, Ms. Lin I don't think you will be requiring protective eyewear for this experiment." said Mr. Keck as he set the frog down on her desk.

"You can never be too careful!" replied Hay Lin with a smile. She picked up her scalpel like a fork as though she were ready to devour the frog at break neck speed. Hayden hardly looked at the dead creature before turning his head elsewhere.

"Sorry," apologized Mr. Keck as he reached Taranee's desk and laid the frog before her. She raised a surprised eyebrow at her teacher. "I wanted everyone to have a partner for this but I guess I must have miscounted."

"It's alright," lied Taranee. "I prefer to work on my own anyhow." Mr. Keck nodded oblivious to the fact that being alone at the moment was the last thing the girl wanted.

Will's astral drop was seated at the front of the room, with Matt. She hardly noticed Mr. Keck's arrival nor did she even hear the words he said to her.

"Hmm, I'm sorry, what was that Sir?" Will's astral drop asked dreamily.

"I asked, aren't you excited to be working with frogs?" Mr. Keck repeated, his hand was still holding onto the frog lying on the desk. Will's astral drop looked down at the lifeless green creature and was finally snapped out of her stupor. She didn't know why but she felt sick and full of grief when she saw it.

Mr. Keck seemed to notice. "I thought you really liked them, you seem to have an affinity for the little amphibians." This was partly true, Will's astral drop was currently wearing a tan shirt, under her pink and blue sweater, with a frog emblem emblazoned on the front, her backpack too had frogs on it, just about everything in her room… in Will's room… she corrected her thoughts again.

"Uh, yeah," said Will's astral drop uneasily. "But that doesn't mean I want to cut them up." Mr. Keck looked a little crest fallen, having not even considered that this might be a horrific experience for the girl.

"If you'd rather not take part…" said Mr. Keck, trying to sound apologetic.

"I…" the astral drop's eyes found Matt sitting next to her, a supportive smile on his face, "I think I can manage."

"Alright then!" smiled Mr. Keck standing up and addressing the whole class. He moved to the front of the room and put the plastic frog bin under his desk, then switched on a digital projector displaying his own frog. "Knifes up everyone and do as I do."

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"I can honestly say, that was the grossest thing I have ever seen," said Cornelia. She looked a little green in the face, like a frog, as Irma had pointed out.

"Oh come on! You didn't even touch yours!" Irma said putting her arm around Cornelia and poking her. "At least you didn't have my partner! What a wuss, he gave up after the first cut!"

"At least you had a partner," said Taranee quietly to herself.

"You're probably better off that boy didn't show up anyhow. Their group is just a bunch of jerks!" Irma said waving off Taranee's uncertainty with a hand. "I mean that guy Hayden he didn't even do any of the work! Hay Lin had to do it all herself! Right Hay Hey?" Hay Lin shrugged.

"It was actually kind of fun! Hey! Is anyone else hungry? I have this strange craving for frog!" said Hay Lin, rubbing her tummy. Her friends glared at her and Cornelia looked as though she might throw-up right then and there. "What?"

Only Will's astral drop remained silent, lost in her own thoughts. She glanced around at her friends again.

_Why did life have to be so unfair to those that didn't have it?_ Thought the astral drop. _Why can't they just be _my_ friends? After all I'm Will aren't I? I have just as much right to be here as she did, don't I?_

The astral drop closed her eyes and shook her head. What was she thinking? She was here to be their enemy, a spy among them. To distract the girls while her Empress did who knew what to the real Will.

Why was she even having these thoughts? And why did the memories seem so much stronger now than they had a few days ago; back when she had first arrived at the Silver Dragon, pretending to be the real Will? She remembered everything, right up until the moment she had been pulled out of the real Will. But as of late the memories seemed to be much more vivid and the astral drop was starting to have trouble separating herself and Will, in her mind.

"Earth to Will!" Cornelia said waving a hand in front of the astral drop's face. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh, sorry what?" the astral drop asked confused. Damn it she had lost her focus. _Recover, recover_… "Sorry, I was just thinking…"

"Thinking about what?" asked Irma, a goofy grin on her face. "Thinking about Maaatttt?" she asked grabbing the astral drop around the shoulders in a one armed hug. The redheaded imitation put on her best fake smile.

"Yeah, you got me!" lied the astral drop.

"Poor love struck girl," Irma moaned dramatically putting her hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. "What unrequited love hast thou fallen into?" the others giggled at Irma and this time the astral drop couldn't help smiling for real.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"They don't seem like much of a threat, do they?" asked Dante as he and his friends watched the guardians chatting and laughing.

"They are still our enemies," Hayden said darkly.

"But their power is nothing compared to ours," Alex whispered.

"Hmfp," Hayden grunted. "We should take them now, finish what we started."

"But Serenity said…" Alex began.

"I don't care what Serenity said!" Hayden hissed.

"Hey back off man!" Dante said moving between the two. "What's been up with you lately?" Dante tried to poke Hayden in the chest with a finger but the older boy knocked it away.

"Don't touch me," said Hayden.

"Ever since we became Dragon Knights you've been acting funny," continued Dante.

"And nothing is wrong. Go do, whatever you want. I'm outta here." Stuffing his hands back into his pockets Hayden turned from his friends and stalked off.

The two boys shot each other sideways looks, but neither said anything. They were both thinking the same thing. Hayden couldn't stand not being their leader anymore.

* * *

End of Part 3: To Be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**I have to say, I have a love hate relationship with this chapter. I kind of wish I could cut it but it still needs to be in the story. I like the 'fun' that it brings but… sigh, I dono…**

**Anyhow, thanks to everyone who reviewed! You are the fuel that keeps me from burning out and crashing into the ground, then exploding into millions of shards and then being crushed by a giant falling whale from the sky. See you're reviews have the power to prevent all that! So I would like to thank everyone who too the time to leave a review for Part 2! **_XV-Dragon, __Dai Makai_** and **_KnightofFaerun_

**If you haven't left a review, that's alright too, you're always welcome to join us in the forums or PM me if you want to talk. But every time you stay silent somewhere a fairy drops down dead… fairy killers… (I'm just being funny btw, obviously I don't expect everyone who comes through to review)**

**SUPERAWSOME THANKS to my BETA Readers! ****Waterclaws **and **Kuramas Girl Angel**

**Up next Wednesday is Part 4, don't miss the exciting conclusion to Episode 2!**

**Starwin out**


	8. E2 P4: Betrayer

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 2: Lost Will

* * *

Part 4: Betrayer

* * *

Serenity sat on her bed, her whole body shaking. The confrontation with the Oracle had taken it's toll on her, even if she hadn't felt it at the time. Using the Heart and the Soul together had given her incredible power, but it had also diminished her life force, leaving her drained of energy and in a fair amount of pain.

But the ultimate goal was worth it. And the Oracle had to pay for what he had done.

Serenity let her eyes close as she wrapped her arms around her body. She wished they were Will's arms instead. She felt so alone. She was the only one left who could accomplish what her father had started.

Her thoughts filled with foreign memories, Will's memories. Serenity had stolen them, had been stealing them, than replaced the redheaded girl's original memories with those of her own making; with a new life, a new identity.

But still there was a road block. Something that stopped Serenity from fully completing her task. The fire guardian. Somehow, Serenity had not been able to erase her from Will's thoughts. This lingering memory always returned, no matter how many times Serenity replaced it.

And the strenuous task of creating a new life for Will, as well as the battle in Kandrakar had weakened the silver haired teen greatly. If the guardians were to launch another assault against Rakadin, they would easily overpower her.

However, the astral drop was doing well in the task of distracting the guardians. They hadn't even tried to contact Kandrakar. A good thing since they would have discovered that the copy had no Heart.

Serenity couldn't help but smile, she had given it a soul though, or at least part of one.

Without the Heart the guardians could not contact the Oracle, could not travel to the sacred Halls of Kandrakar, and could not transform into their more powerful selves.

A knock at her chamber doors pulled Serenity from her thoughts. The silver haired empress stood from her bed, regaining her composure before opening the door. Owin waited on the other side.

"You summoned me back?" Owin asked. He had been in biology class when Serenity called for him and he'd had to sneak out.

"Yes, I need you to help me with something," Serenity said as she gestured for the boy to follow after her.

The two walked silently through the halls of Rakadin.

_I cannot wait any longer,_ thought Serenity. _I have to remove the final obstacle in Will's mind once and for all._

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Will sat with her friends in Golden, talking while they waited for their food to arrive. The restaurant was one of their favorite hangouts. And after a strenuous day of class there was no place any of them would rather be right now.

"I don't think class was that bad, Taranee," Will replied to her friend's remarks.

"Well, maybe not for me…" Taranee said looking across the table at their friend who was finishing his third soda, "but Dante, you must have done horribly on that geography test!"

Dante looked up and smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Well… the teacher said I could do some extra credit to help bring my grade up," said Dante.

"Oh, oh!" Hayden cried with such excitement that he was practically jumping out of his seat. "Pick me, pick me!" Dante shot him a quizzical glance. "To help you with the extra credit!" Hayden exclaimed.

"Sure, Hay Hey, why not," replied Dante casually with a sideways smile at his best friend.

"Uhn," grunted Will. The redheaded girl had felt a sharp stab of pain in her temple. She thought, just for a moment, that Dante had been someone else… Ir… m… a… something… but the thought was lost.

Will looked at her friends through burning eyes. Taranee flickered as if she were a bad projection, before being replaced by someone else, someone new, an Asian boy with black hair. Yet this person, Owin was his name, was someone she had always known, hadn't she? But the other name, Tara… something… seemed so familiar, yet so distant.

Shaking her head and blinking the strange effect dissipated. Will looked at Owin, unsure why she had thought him to be someone else.

"Hey, Will, are you sure you're alright?" Serenity asked with concern, putting her arm around Will and hugging her tightly. "Maybe we should have taken you home." Will looked at Serenity feeling a little confused. For some reason Will was sure that she hadn't been there a moment ago, but that wasn't right… Serenity had been hanging out with her all day long…

"No," Will protested. "I'm fine, really." She shot an appreciative smile at Serenity, glad that her girlfriend was here with her.

Will felt a second sharp stab of pain and for a very brief moment she was some place else, a world filled with nothing but white. She was standing all alone with flat emptiness as far as her eyes could see

But the pain faded after only a moment and the world of white went with it. Will had returned to Golden, unsure if what she had seen had been dream or reality.

Her friends were all looking at her with surprise and concern. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she had spilled her drink all over the table.

Yet another stab of fire burned in the side of her head as if someone had pressed a red hot poker against her temple. Will let out a cry of agony as her body arched, trying to escape the pain. But the sound of her scream was instantly silenced before it left her lips. And she was no longer sitting in the booth at Golden.

The world of white had returned. Will was breathing hard. Where was she? Why was this happening to her? She felt so confused, what was this place?

She'd half expected for the world of white to vanish as quickly as it had before, but this time it lingered. Will began to question if the place she had been only moments ago had been real.

This world of white felt strange, like it was real but only a dream of what real actually felt like. Everything was different, upside down, inside out.

Will looked around her seeing only endless, flat, white. The ground glowed as if it were under bright lights. There was nothing here, except for Will, or at least that was what she thought at first. Because, though the world was empty, voices that echoed in the sky. Will listened trying to make out the words.

_Why won't you be gone, interfering guardian_? The voice was a jumble of hundreds of people all speaking at once, the tone was oddly soothing. And Will thought she recognized some of the voices too but she didn't know to whom they belonged, couldn't remember their faces or names.

_Not until you let my friend go!_ Another voice shouted back. This one was harsher, less pleasant to listen to than the first. But Will recognized speaker this time, Taranee. Will could recall her face, see her image. "RUN WILL, RUN!"

The hallucination of the world of white ended and Will found herself being half carried out of the restaurant, Serenity's arm around her, holding her up.

"That's enough! I'm taking Will home!" Serenity said angrily.

"I won't let you take her anywhere!" Taranee shouted defiantly blocking their path. Other customers were listening in on the argument.

Her mind was fuzzy and unfocused, where had Owin gone? And who was Owin for that matter? What was wrong with her, why were her friends fighting? "Will, you have to resist! None of this is real! You have to escape!" Taranee's harsh voice said as her image begun to flicker again. The burning returned to Will's head and she passed out.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Serenity opened her eyes momentarily blinded by the light of the silver pool. She had been forced out of Will's mind by that memory! _No it was stronger than simply a memory!_ Serenity decided. _There was something more there! Something I'm missing…_

"What just happened?" Owin asked groggily. He was sitting in the silver water not far from Serenity. Like both Will and Serenity he too was naked, though the murky silver of the water made it impossible to see more than the top of his chest.

He had hesitated when Serenity instructed him to undress before getting in. "The water will burn away your clothing," Serenity had explained. "If you like you could walk around Rakadin naked, I am sure the others would be quite amused." He hadn't argued after that.

"We were forced out of Will's thoughts," said Serenity as she watched the unconscious girl across the pool. "We can only affect her waking mind."

"How can we even do that!" Owin asked not understanding anything that had just transpired. Serenity hadn't told him much, other than she thought his presence would make the task easier.

"I have the power to steal people's memories and make them new ones," Serenity explained, fixing her gaze on Owin. "Just like I'm going to do with you, right now." There was panic in Owin's eyes for a brief moment as Serenity looked at him. He couldn't move, his whole body had become frozen in place. He was trapped in her gaze as she invaded his mind.

Then she released him, "Now leave," Serenity said looking away. Owin blinked hard, his thoughts fuzzy as he climbed out of the pool. He was unsure what he was doing here or even how he had come to be in this place.

Owin dressed himself quickly and moved towards the door. He almost glanced back as he was leaving but a small voice in his head told him not to.

Once alone Serenity refocused her thoughts on Will. Owin had been a waste of time. True, his presence had been able to help momentarily replace the fire guardian in Will's mind, but somehow, unlike the others, he had easily been forgotten.

It was then Serenity noticed something odd about the water around Will's body. It had changed color. It was no longer silver but gold. At the edges, where silver met gold, four thin lines, like beams of light, reached out across the pool.

_A connection! Of course how could I not have noticed? Will was being protected by her friends, even if they weren't here!_

Serenity held up the Soul of Rakadan and gazed deeply into it. The face of Will's astral drop appeared in the gem. She was laughing and joking with Will's friends. Serenity moved the gem closer to her mouth and whispered into it.

"Do not be afraid," Serenity said softly. The image of Will's astral drop looked panicked for a moment, reflexively grabbing the gem underneath her shirt. She quickly calmed herself before the other girls noticed. "It is your Empress, I have another task for you."

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

For the fourth time that week the astral drop found herself once more in a sleeping bag on the floor at Taranee's house. Will's mom had not been pleased to let her daughter stay out again, but the gem around the astral drop's neck had made Susan Vandom forget all about her objections.

And since Taranee's parents were still out of town there was only her older brother Peter to stop Will from staying over, which he hadn't.

The astral drop sunk lower into her sleeping bag, pulling the fabric tighter around her body and contemplating Serenity's request. Why did she feel so hesitant? She tightened her grip on gem Serenity had given to her. But what other choice did she have?

The sounds of Taranee sleeping reached the ears of the astral drop as she listened to the other girl's deep breathing. This was it. The time to strike was now.

Crawling out of her sleeping bag, the person who was not Will Vandom, yet wore her blue pajamas and shared her face, moved to the side of Taranee's bed. Pulling out the gem that was tethered around her neck the astral drop lifted it high into the air and prepared to strike the defenseless guardian.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Serenity sat impatiently by the edge of the silver pool, her eyes watching Will's motionless form on the far side. The silver haired girl had not redressed herself as she would have to move quickly once the astral drop made its move. What was taking so long?

Suddenly, Will shivered, causing ripples to spread across the smooth surface of the water. The golden sphere of water that surrounded Will begun to quiver and a spike of silver water forced its way through the golden shield, impaling the redhead's body. Will gasped as if the silver water had actually pierced her skin. She was once more connected to the rest of the silver pool.

_At last_! Serenity thought as she slid back into the silver water and closed her eyes. Holding out the Soul of Rakadin, Serenity invaded Will's mind once more.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Taranee's felt a sharp pain in her chest. She gasped for air, her lungs burning. Rolling to her side, the chocolate skinned girl coughed violently. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what had just happened! One moment she had been asleep the next she was waking up with Will hovering over her holding something knife-like and silver!

Taranee put her hand against her chest where she remembered Will having stabbed her, but there was no dagger, or even a cut there. Had she just imaging it? It seemed so real, hurt so much…

_Maybe its related to what happened to me in the Void? _Taranee thought. _Ever since I got back to Earth my powers have been weak and my telepathy has been acting all funny_. _The only person I can __**feel**__ is Will, but it's a strange feeling. Like Will's thoughts are very, very far away._

Even though Taranee had been at Will's side all week long the thoughts she had been picking up from Will didn't seem to be coming from her at all. Like she was hearing a distant echo. And like an echo the fire guardian couldn't understand most of what she had seen either, mostly faces and people she didn't know.

"Taranee!" called Will excitedly as she came running towards her friend. Taranee sat up slowly. She realized that she was not in her bed, but on the ground, in some place very strange, that was not her room, or indeed anywhere in her house.

The pain Taranee had felt was fading, but the image of Will stabbing her was still fresh in her mind. Taranee shrunk away as Will got close. Will stopped. "Taranee? What's wrong."

"I… " Taranee started to say, but she didn't know how to put into words what she was thinking. "Where are we?" Taranee asked putting forth the only other words she could think of. Will shrugged.

The world around them was flat with nothing but the two girls in it. It was colored absolute white, like someone had turned the lights to maximum. Both Taranee and Will had a strange glow about their bodies as well and had they not both been dressed in pajamas Taranee might have thought she was dead.

Taranee looked up seeing that high above them, infinitely far away, was a ceiling of blackness, like the night sky without stars.

_What is this place?_ thought Taranee. _And why do I have this odd sensation of being asleep but still awake at the same time. Like I know I'm asleep._

"This has to be a dream…" Taranee said aloud as she looked around at the surreal world. "What are you doing in my dream, Will?" Taranee asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," replied Will as she looked around at the nothingness

"I don't like it here," said Taranee, hugging her arms to her chest. "Will, I want to wake up." Will moved quickly over to her friend and wrapped her arms around her.

"Don't worry Taranee, I'll be right here with you," Will said holding her friend reassuringly. "Together we can find a way out of this place." Will let go of her friend and offered out her arm. Taranee took hold and Will led the way. Moving with caution the two girls wandered out across the empty white nothing.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

"This place doesn't seem dangerous," said Will, after they had been walking for some time. "I mean, if something brought us her to attack us, it's not doing a very good- Ekk!." Will screeched.

"What's wrong!" Taranee asked in a panic, gripping Will's arm more tightly. Will couldn't speak, she could only point. There, a short distance away, was another Will. She was walking slowly toward them. Her body bound in silver chains and a strange vacant look in her eyes.

Taranee looked back at the Will by her side. The only difference between the two was their clothing. The Will at her side was wearing blue pajamas, while the chained Will was wearing nothing but the silver chains.

"So the problem girl emerges at last," echoed a cold voice. Taranee let go of Will and her hands ready to defend herself, she hoped that her powers would work this time. She noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.

A young, slender girl stepped out from behind the captive Will. She emerged from an impossibly thin space behind the redhead that should not have fully concealed her. The girl's hair was silver and her eyes were a reflectionless black. In the bright glow of the white surroundings her pale skin almost made her vanish against the colorless background, as if she were a line drawing that hadn't been colored in.

"Who are you!" Taranee demanded.

"I could be a friend," said the silver haired girl, her icy tone vanishing to become pleasant and sweet. "Or…" someone grabbed Taranee's arm twisting it behind her back. It was Will! The one who was wearing the blue pajamas.

"Will what are you doing! Let me go! Ouch!" Taranee cried as Will torqued her arm.

"But more likely I am an enemy. I am Serenity, Empress of Rakadin," Serenity finished, her tone turning icy again. "You and your friends have put a wrench in my plan guardian." Serenity advanced on Taranee, Will twisted Taranee's arm even more, forcing the fire guardian to her knees.

Serenity stopped in front of Taranee and put out a hand to stroke the side of the girls face. The touch was cold and Taranee felt like her fire was being drained from her body. Taranee turned her head away, pulling free of the cold fingers.

"Don't fight me!" Serenity said kneeling down and looking Taranee in the eyes. Taranee closed her eyes and looked away. She had seen herself reflected in Serenity's gaze for a brief moment and Taranee had felt Serenity trying to force her way into her mind.

A cold hand grabbed Taranee's jaw and jerked her head forward. Taranee suddenly felt Serenity's lips pressed against her own. She tried to pull away but Will held her head so that she couldn't. Taranee wanted to scream, the ice was everywhere! She was being frozen from the inside out!

Serenity pulled away and frozen breath escaped from Taranee's lips. She was shaking, shivering. Her thoughts were dull too, like her brain had also been frozen. What had just happened to her, what had the silver haired girl just done to her? Taranee was having a hard time recalling.

"A little something for later," said Serenity standing and moving away. "It is you who gives your friends the power of telepathy. That is why you are so hard to erase. Why your memory kept coming back."

"Errassseee?" asked Taranee through chattering teeth.

"From Will's mind," Serenity said. She was looking around as though trying to spot something invisible. Taranee looked back at the Will that was holding her. "Not her," said Serenity, her back still to Taranee, "she's just the copy. Ah, here it is!" announced Serenity.

Reaching out she seemed to take hold of thin air, but as she pulled Taranee could see that it was a golden string pinched between her fingers. The string shimmered and danced in the white glow of the dream light. Taranee followed the strings path. One end of the string was tied around the wrist of the Will in silver chains. The other end was tied to one of the four fingers on Taranee's hand. And now that she was looking closely at it Taranee could see other strings tied to her other fingers.

Her eyes followed each string. Each one was tied to a different guardian and each guardian was, in turn, tied to Will. Taranee prayed that Serenity could not see the other strings or the other guardians. She could see her friends, she could feel them at the other ends, all she had to do was…

Serenity stepped hard on Taranee's hand and the fire guardian let out a yelp of pain.

"Don't even think about calling the others," Serenity said nastily. "I've only come to cut one thread from you tonight, but if you push me I will sever them all! And your heart will forget all your friends, instead of just one." Serenity turned her foot crushing Taranee's hand even further and causing her more agony. Taranee looked away from the golden strings attached to her fingers, tears coming to her eyes. "Good girl."

Serenity laced Will's golden string around her wrist a few times, then taking the section between Taranee and herself she cut the string with her teeth. Taranee's hand went numb. There was a dull pain up her whole arm that was working towards her heart. Serenity examined the golden string around her wrist, like it was a new piece of jewelry. She smiled at it.

"I would have preferred silver, gold is not my color," Serenity said.

"We won't let you get away with this, we'll stop you!" Taranee said through gritted teeth and tears. Serenity turned her attention back to Taranee.

"No, you won't," Serenity said. Her eyes flicked up to the Will holding Taranee. Will's astral drop pulled Taranee roughly to her feet. Serenity stepped uncomfortably closer to Taranee. "In fact, _you_, are going to help me cut away the rest of the guardians."

Serenity turned her back on Taranee and strode a few paces away. Serenity held out her blue gem and it began to glow. Taranee watched unable to take her eyes off the magical item that looked exactly like the Heart of Kandrakar!

"I'm so sorry," whispered the astral drop in Taranee's ear. Taranee didn't know what to say.

The smile faded from Serenity's face and a burst of darkness exploded from her gem, racing out at Taranee and striking her full on, while the astral drop kept her from escaping.

ͽ ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ ͼ

Taranee's eyes snapped open. She was breathing hard, her hand burned as if it were on fire. She stumbled blindly out of bed, almost tripping over Will, who lay sound asleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. Taranee looked at Will in distress for a moment, she was afraid of the redhead. It was an irrational fear that she couldn't explain but it was there in her chest.

Her hand throbbed with pain again as if to remind her that she should be paying attention to it instead. Taranee let out a whimper clenching her hand into a fist.

Quickly she reached the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She extended her hand to put it under the water but she pull back as she felt the cold spray. She was afraid of the cold, afraid of touching it.

She turned off the tap and took hold of the edges of the sink, staring down into the slowly draining water. She'd had a horrible, horrible nightmare… but she couldn't remember what it had been about… something… something about Will… and string and… cold…

It was then that Taranee noticed the red mark slowly becoming more prominent around her middle finger as though something had once been tied tightly there but had recently been cut away.

* * *

End of Episode 2

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Alright! Two episodes down! **

**A HUGE thanks to my BETA readers ****Kuramas Girl ****Angel**** AND ****Waterclaws**

**Thanks to everyone who left a review on the last chapter!**_ Dai Makai_, _KnightofFaerun_,_ Sokai_, _XV-Dragon_, _Taniaea_, **and** _Guardian's Light_

**To everyone else who is reading but not reviewing, I still give you a big thanks for taking time to read my story I hope you have liked it so far (though I don't know because you haven't told me) and continue to enjoy it. **

**Don't forget to leave a review and/or visit my forms where you can discuss pretty much what ever you like, within reason, about this and other stories I have written!**

**Also, as a side note, the last chapter I posted pushed my total published word count on this site to over 300,000 words, WOOT! Just thought I would share.**

**Next Episode starts 04/13!**

**Starwin out.**


	9. E3 P1: Cry for Help

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Heart Strings

* * *

Part 1: Cry for Help

* * *

It was dark and cold in Heatherfield. Everyone was asleep or at least at home. Everyone that is, except for Hayden Leen. He was not asleep, and he had no home to go to.

For as long as he could remember he had been on the run. Ever since… ever since he had first discovered his abilities, his magic as Alex often called it.

_What was so magical about it!_ Hayden thought as he kicked a discarded soda can. _How could there be anything magical about me! I'm a freak, a monster!_ He let out a cry of rage and punched the wall beside him. The stone cracked around his hand, crumbled and turned to dust. "Everything I touch, I kill." Hayden said aloud looking down at his hands.

He remembered the blond haired guardian that he'd fought out on the nothingness around Rakadin. He'd almost killed her when he had drained away her life force. The only thing that had stopped him had been the fire guardian begging him not to.

"I don't deserve to live…" Hayden said closing his eyes and looking away, disgusted with himself.

"That is untrue," came a soft, distant, voice. Hayden's eyes darted about, searching the darkness of the alleyway. He was looking for where the voice had come from, but he was alone.

He knew the name of the speaker, even if he could not see her. "Serenity," said Hayden softly as though testing the word out. "SERENITY! What have you done to me!" shouted Hayden, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

"I am sorry, Hayden," came Serenity's voice again, and Hayden realized that the voice was in his mind. "But it was not me who gave you control of the aspect of death. I simply awakened its power within you, and made it stronger. It was always your fate…"

"My fate! I don't want this!" screamed Hayden into the darkness. "Did you ever consider that? Do you even care?" There was silence, broken only by the distant echo of his own voice.

Hayden thought that Serenity might have abandoned him too. Just like his parents, when they'd seen his 'magic'. Just like his friends, now that he was no longer their leader.

"No," said Serenity's soft voice. "I did not think that you would not want my gifts. And I love all my Dragon Knights, with all my heart and soul."

"Then let me go!" Hayden demanded, his voice shaking. "I don't want to have this power any more; I don't want to be death!" Again a long pause.

"If you want me to release you from the service of Rakadin, I shall…" replied Serenity, her voice sad, "… but, your power is your own and I cannot free you of it. You shall always represent death. Just as your friends are the aspects of light, darkness and life. Just as I must always bear the aspect of the soul…

Is freedom from me and your friends what you truly desire, Hayden Leen?" asked Serenity.

"No," answered Hayden. He felt disgusted with himself. All she had done was help him since they had met and all he had done was distrust her.

"Than come home, my loyal Dragon Knight," said Serenity. A whirling vortex of shadows opened before Hayden. "Come home and I will help you forget any doubts that still linger in your thoughts."

Hayden did not hesitate for even a moment before stepping through the gateway back to Rakadin. Back home.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"I'm telling you, it wasn't just a dream," pleaded Taranee, her voice almost breaking. She was visibly distraught and on the edge of tears. The chocolate skinned girl was holding herself tightly in a protective hug while her friends stood close by her side. The girls were in one of the hallways of the Sheffield Institute, and had been walking to class only moments ago when Taranee had nearly broken down as she recounted her dream.

"Calm down Taranee," Cornelia said putting a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "After class we can go talk to the Oracle and…"

"NO!" shouted Will's astral drop everyone looked at her in surprise. "I mean, no. I don't want to see him right now. He led us into another trap! I just need… some more time, I think we all do."

"I'm with Will on this one," interjected Irma. "The Oracle needs to learn to respect us! He can't just keep sending us blindly into danger!" Irma glared at Cornelia, who returned her look with equal dislike.

"Well I don't like being sent into danger anymore than you do!" Cornelia retorted, her comments focused on Irma. "But even you have to admit something strange has been going on for a while now.

Our powers weren't a hundred percent before we went to Rakadin," Cornelia shivered as she recalled the cold she'd felt during the Dragon Knight's attack on her.

She hadn't spoken to the others at all about it but the memories haunted her dreams. She could still see the silver masked demon when her eyes closed and remember the terrible feeling of having her life sucked from her.

"Ever since we came back—" Cornelia continued after a moments pause "–it's been getting worse! Usually our guardian healing power helps us recover quickly, but this time… this time I feel just as bad as the day we escaped Rakadin."

Irma had no answer to this. She just looked at the blond girl, stunned by the sudden confession and change in tone. The water guardian had been feeling fine, though she too noticed her decline in magical strength, as if something were missing. However until that moment, Irma hadn't even considered that her recovery might only be because Cornelia had used her magic to heal Irma.

Irma's eyes flashed to Taranee. Over the last week she had slowly been returning to her old self. But today she seemed to have taken several steps backwards, becoming little better than she had been when they had first returned to Earth. The only difference was that she wasn't clinging to Will at the moment.

And even Will seemed to be acting a little odd. Irma couldn't put her finger on it but something about Will was… different.

"Maybe you're right," Irma said to everyone's shock. She and Cornelia almost never agreed on anything! The fact that she was admitting her greatest adversary was right meant that things were seriously wrong. "Hay Lin, what do you…" Irma spun around looking for her best friend. "Hay Lin?" she asked again. The rest of the girls looked around as well, but except for them the hallway was empty, Hay Lin had vanished.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"…wasn't just a dream," Taranee pleaded to her friends. Hay Lin was about to speak up and tell the other that she too had been having strange dreams for a while now but before she could another voice interrupted her thoughts.

Distant, and whispered the words that the voice spoke were impossible to make out. Slowly Hay Lin turned around to look back to where the voice had come from. As she did the gray hallways of the school burned away into a bright white light.

Hay Lin squinted against the brightness and raised a hand to shield her eyes. She felt odd. Like she was day dreaming.

As she adjusted to the bright world of white she was able to spot a person off in the distance. Though she could make out the outline of the person but, she could not see any features on their body, like the person was made of light.

The only thing Hay Lin could make out for certain was the very short red hair of the person. Red hair she recognized.

"Will," Hay Lin asked squinting and taking a step forward.

The person turned their head ever so slightly so that the edge of her face could be seen. It wasn't much but it was enough for Hay Lin to be sure that the person standing in the distance was Will.

"I'm afraid…." Will whispered, her voice echoing softly to Hay Lin's ears.

"Of what?" Hay Lin asked confused as she took another step closer.

"They broke me…" Will explained, "I'm empty, lost… Please, help me, I'm so afraid…"

"Will?" Hay Lin asked again not understanding at all. Was this some kind of dream or a vision maybe? "What are you talking about, how can I help you?" Hay Lin took another step towards Will extending her hand even though she was still very far away from her friend.

A rush of wind crashed into Hay Lin, pushing her onwards towards her friend. Hay Lin took a few more steps closer, letting her element guide her, but still holding back.

Suddenly the world of white was ripped away. The young Asian girl felt her body twist and turn as darkness pressed against her eyes. She felt like she was falling, a terrifying feeling for someone who is the embodiment of flight.

And then the feeling abated as she collapsed to the ground. Hay Lin realized that her eyes were closed, that was why it was so dark. However she didn't open them because she was afraid of what she was going to find.

Her fingers slid against cool polished stone as she moved to push herself up. _Please don't let it be real_, Hay Lin thought. _Please don't let me be where I think I am!_ She pulled her hands away from the floor, not wanting to touch it, not wanting to make it real.

Slowly, Hay Lin opened one eye as though whatever sight awaited her would be too much for both. She was right. Quickly she closed her eyes again. _No, no, no!_ Hay Lin screamed in her mind as she felt her breathing quicken. _Not again, not here!_

The small Asian girl curled into a ball on the floor, keeping her eyes closed. The memories of suffocation returned to her, the last time she had been here she had almost died, buried under crushing stone.

"Please…" Hay Lin heard. "Please…" Hay Lin opened her eyes. She was lying on cold black marble floor, her heart pounding in her chest. She was alone… in Rakadin!

Hay Lin did not get up. Her body would not move. She was terrified, frightened beyond belief. The last time she had been in this place she'd felt fear in the back of her mind, but now that she had returned the sensation was stronger, more tangible somehow. It wasn't a notion in her head but a voice that screamed in her thoughts.

A cold wind rushed over Hay Lin. It was her element, air, it was speaking to her. "Please Hay Lin… help her… save her..." Hay Lin lifted her head, there was more than just words on the gust of air, there were emotions, Wills emotions. She was so scared. She was suffering.

Feeling the wind against her skin, Hay Lin pushed herself up as she reached deep inside herself for courage. "I'm coming Will." Hay Lin said determinately as she got to her feet.

Moving slowly and cautiously Hay Lin followed the wind along the passage. She kept expecting be ambushed, yet she encountered no one.

At last Hay Lin came to a stop at a very large, ornately carved, black wooden door. There were pictures drawn upon it. Some of the carving had been highlighted in silver and stood out from the rest. Hay Lin couldn't make heads or tails of it.

The door was open just a crack. The breeze she had been following— the wind that had spoken the words to her—was coming from the room beyond, Hay Lin was sure of it.

Two, large, dragon-shaped silver handles protruded from the door. Slowly Hay Lin wrapped her fingers around the cold, slippery metal and pulled the door open. Bright light poured out from the room blinding Hay Lin briefly; however, the effect faded quickly. The light in this room was as dim as the glow of the distant moon, but in the darkness of Rakadin it had seemed as bright as the sun a moment ago.

In this large round room there was a shallow pool of silver light and at the far end of the pool was Will, her head hanging limply to once side and her expression vacant.

"Will! Will, oh my god, what's happened to you!" cried Hay Lin. She ran to the edge of the pool, about to recklessly leap into the water when icy fingers closed around her neck and lifted her off the ground. She struggled and gasped for air but she felt like the hands were draining away her very life.

"No one invited you here guardian!" whispered a voice in Hay Lin's ear. Hay Lin tried to speak but the crushing hand cut off her words. "You should not have seen this and I cannot let you go with this knowledge." The grip on Hay Lin's throat tightened, darkness began to creep in at the side of her eyes until all she could see was nothing.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The young Asian girl stopped struggling in Hayden's grasp. He felt a flicker of guilt at his actions, but the feeling was quickly pushed aside. He was a Dragon Knight and he had a duty to his Empress.

Gently Hayden lowered Hay Lin's unconscious form to the floor, kneeling beside her. He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and found Serenity standing next to him, he had not even heard her approach.

The young Empress was dressed in a thin robe that shimmered in the silver light and her black, reflectionless, eyes were locked on the incapacitated girl lying before them. Serenity knelt down beside Hay Lin as if she were a concerned friend.

"Why would she come alone and untransformed?" Hayden asked in a hushed voice. Serenity wondered the same thing. "How did she even get here? Do you think the guardians found the portal?"

Serenity shook her head not looking over at Hayden. "No. I concealed it with powerful magic. It is unlikely they could find the portal, even if they were looking for it, even if they possessed the Heart.

As for how she arrived here…" Serenity's voice trailed off into a whisper. She softly touched Hay Lin's neck with slender fingers, examining the porcelain white skin. Serenity's eyes narrowed as though she saw something invisible tied around Hay Lin's neck.

"Her too?" She murmured.

"What?" Hayden asked confused. Not sure at all what Serenity was talking about. Serenity didn't seem to hear Hayden. She just continued talking to herself as if he weren't there.

"So it wasn't just the Fire Guardian who was bound to you..." Serenity said thoughtfully, glancing at Will. The redheaded girl still sat motionless in the silver water, completely oblivious. "All of the guardians must share a thread of fate." Serenity pulled at the unseen thread that was tied to Hay Lin. "That is why you still resist me, Will!"

For a moment, Serenity's hands moved through the air, feeling something out. Then she stopped and pulled it taunt between her fingers. Hayden could see nothing.

"Cut the thread, Hayden," ordered Serenity. Hayden hesitated. Serenity looked up at him, calmly waiting for him to act, but she did not repeat herself. Instead she focused her eyes upon him.

A strange feeling overtook Hayden. He had to obey. Hayden watched as his own hand move to cut the unseen thread. He felt the thread resist, as if it was fighting back. Light burst forth from the string as he pushed against it harder. At last, he could finally see the golden thread. His hand had not even touched it yet!

The golden glow of the thread became obscured by the dark swirling tendrils of smoke as Hayden focused all of his energy into his hand. He leaned hard against the glowing strand.

Hayden grunted in pain as his hand finally cut through the thread. The string connecting Hay Lin to Will flickered and sparked before its light extinguished. Its severed ends drifted apart, fading like burnt out embers.

Hay Lin's face wrenched in pain and Will let out a whimper from across the room.

Serenity quickly laced the end of the string leading back to Will around her own wrist. As she finished the thread changed from gold to silver before vanishing once more.

Hayden cradled his injured hand. He looked down at the agony in Hay Lin's face and saw the raw red welt around her neck.

"What… what was that?" Hayden asked in a hesitant whisper.

"It was a heart string," replied Serenity. "an invisible thread of fate that ties together people, destiny and love."

Smiling, Serenity held up her hand and looked at her wrist with fondness. "Dump her back on Earth. Let's give the guardians one more problem to distract them while I make ready to awaken our dreamer."

* * *

End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Huge thanks to my BETA readers: ****Waterclaws****,** **and ****MakesBadJokes**

**Thank you to everyone who left a review on the last chapter: **_Sokai, Dai Makai, XV-Dragon, Taeniaea and KnightofFaerun_

**Thank you everyone who read last chapter. **

**Thank you everyone who insert what you did last chapter!**

**Thus the next cycle begins! Or continues, or something... I'm busy working over the next chapter at the moment (and the one after it and the one after that). I haven't had time to do much of anything this week let alone write or work on my stories.**

**Anyhow, minor release change. Going to slow down a little and only put up one chapter a week on Sundays from now on.**

**Starwin out.**


	10. E3 P2: Illusions of Self

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Heart Strings

* * *

Part 2: Illusions of Self

* * *

"Ms. Hale! Ms. Vandom! Please come with me!" everyone in the class, including Cornelia and Will's Astral Drop froze. Their Principal looked very serious. She had entered without knocking or asking if she could interrupt the math teacher, who looked just as shocked at the intrusion. "Now!" the Principal said sharply, when no one moved.

Uncertain as to what they possibly could have done to make their Principal this angry, both Cornelia and Will's Astral Drop got up and followed her out the door. They were surprised to find Taranee and Irma waiting for them in the hallway. Taranee was crying and Irma looked pale.

"What is it?" asked Will's Astral Drop concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Will… it's… it's Hay Lin!" cried Taranee, closing the distance and almost embracing Will's Astral Drop. But Taranee stopped and instead embraced herself. The Principal closed the classroom door because the whole class, professor included, had turned their heads to listen in on the conversation.

"What's wrong with Hay Lin?" asked Cornelia, her expression darkening as she looked accusatorially at Principal Knikerbocker. The Principal led them down the hall, away from prying ears before she spoke in a hushed voice.

"A hall monitor found her a few minutes ago. It looks like she took a nasty tumble down a flight of stairs," whispered the older woman. The girls gasped and in a chorus of concerned voices all tried to ask what happened.

"I don't know yet, but we've called an ambulance and Ms. Lin's parents are already on their way to the hospital."

They stopped outside the school nurse's office. The Principal held them back against the wall as the emergency personnel rushed through the door carrying Hay Lin on a stretcher. Her eyes were closed. She wore a neck brace and there were bruises on her face and arms. The girls covered their mouths, horrified. Cornelia moved to follow.

"Where are you going?" Principal Knickerbocker asked harshly. Cornelia stopped, confused. "All of you are coming to my office— I want some explanations!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The news of Hay Lin's "accident" had already spread across the school by the time the girls left the Principal's office. It had taken even less time for the rumors to start flying this way and that. The most widely believed rumor was that Hay Lin's own friends had pushed her down the stairs out of jealousy.

The rumors were anything but true, but that didn't stop the other students from whispering and glaring uncomfortably at the girls as the inseparable four passed by. The girls huddled close together as though afraid if they drifted too far apart they might be picked off by the crowd of onlookers.

None of the girls spoke. They were unsure what to say, the Astral Drop most of all. Her mind flashed back to the awkward talk she'd just had with Principal Knickerbocker.

"…'_help Will! Save Will!' Those were Ms. Lin's words exactly," Principal Knickerbocker said quietly as she focused her eyes on Will's Astral Drop. "Is there something you want to tell me Will?"_

_The copy of Will looked down at her shoes. How was she supposed to answer such a question?_

"_I don't know, Ma'am," replied the Astral Drop sadly._

"_You don't know?" asked her Principal, her voice shocked. Will's Astral Drop looked away feigning shyness to buy time but she was really blinking away the tears._

"_Please…" begged the girl who was not Will. She found it surprisingly easy to sound distressed and even more surprised to find out that she really was upset. "Please don't tell the others…" Principal Knickerbocker's expression softened and she let out a sigh._

"_If there is something you need to tell me, Will…" the older woman encouraged softly._

"_Please, I just want to go," said Will's Astral Drop her voice breaking. She couldn't stop the emotions now that they had started. She was shaking and on the verge of outright crying. The Principal didn't know how close she had been to the truth._

The sound of people speaking brought the Astral Drop back to the present.

"Will, are you sure you're all right?" Cornelia asked again.

"I'll be fine," lied the Astral Drop, wiping away her tears. Cornelia didn't seem to believe her but she didn't argue the point any further, she just put an arm around her friend, trying to comfort her.

The blond haired girl had no idea how much this gesture both frightened and calmed the redhead.

"So, to the hospital then?" Irma asked.

"I can't… not right now…" said Will's Astral Drop looking away. She pulled free of Cornelia's hug and walked away from the others before breaking into a run. She was running away from her friends, from Will's friends, as fast as she could.

"What a lousy time to run to her boyfriend," Irma pouted. They listened to the redheads whimpering as she vanished out of sight.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

It was like waking from a dream that you could only half remember, at least that's what Will thought. Her mind was unfocused and her thoughts were fuzzy.

Will blinked. It was so bright in here. She closed her eyes but the brightness diminish.

All her thoughts were so distant, but yet, she felt oddly at ease.

A soft voice drifted to Will ears, whispering her name. Once more Will opened her eyes. She seemed to be mostly submerged in silver water that stretched out to the horizons. However, the water was not deep and she discovered that she was in fact sitting on a bench of stone that kept her from sinking under.

"It is time to awaken Will," called the same distant voice. "You have slept long enough." At the far end of the water floated an illuminated blue orb, hovering a few feet above the surface. Will's eyes were drawn to it and for some reason she longed to hold it, to touch it, to make it her own.

Will stood and waded through the water towards the blue light. The silver water had once appeared to be endless but as Will moved she realized that the pool was actually quite small. With only a few strides she was able to cross to the other side.

Out of the darkness a hand extended towards Will. The sleepy girl took hold and was pulled from the silver water with gentle ease.

Will's eyes adjusted quickly now that she was free of the glowing water. What had once been an invisible room was now only shaded in shadows around her, as were the three people who waited at the water's edge.

Will stood naked before them, her mind not fully comprehending anything yet. It wasn't until the soft touch of a silk robe was wrapped around her body that Will snapped out of her stupor. She blinked hard as her eyes refocused on the girl with silver hair and the blue glowing gem that hung around her neck.

"Serenity?" Will asked feeling somewhat confused for a moment and then shouting, "Serenity!" before she leapt forward and embraced the silver-haired girl.

"You're safe now," whispered Serenity as she returned Will's hug, holding her tight. "I have healed most of the wounds the others inflicted upon you but…" Serenity pulled back a little so that she could look into Will's brown eyes, "I have not been able to free you fully from their influence. I need your help with the last two Guardians."

Will nodded, "Of course, anything for you…"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"I can't believe they wouldn't even let us in to see her!" exclaimed Irma angrily. "We're her friends! Her best friends! Why would they think we'd want to hurt her?" Both Taranee and Cornelia remained silent. "I mean what's gotten into everybody lately?"

"I don't know," said Cornelia in a strong voice that halted the girls in their tracks. "But I think it's time we got some answers!"

"Ha! And who are you going to ask?" said Irma snidely.

"The Oracle," answered Cornelia trying not play into Irma's ploy. Whenever Irma was upset she would always try to start an argument with someone, usually Cornelia, to avoid the problem at hand. But this time the blond was not going to let Irma goad her into the verbal confrontation.

"Yeah, well, we need the Heart for that, and thus Will! And she wasn't exactly keen on talking to the Oracle! Honestly, neither am I!" argued Irma, annoyance rising in her voice. "I agree with Will, that idiot of an Oracle just can't be trusted!"

"Hey, who's… " Taranee tried to ask but Cornelia ignored her.

"You would, you're her bitch after all!" Cornelia spat back at Irma, her own irritation getting the better of her.

Without warning Irma slapped Cornelia and the argument ended in shocked silence. Cornelia touched her face where Irma's hand had stuck; unable to believe the walnut haired girl done such a thing.

"Oh my god!" gasped Irma, remorse welling in her eyes. "Cornelia, I'm so sorry, I didn't…" but Cornelia's angry glare cut her off. In all the fights they'd had, all the verbal battles between them, never once had either physically struck the other.

Cornelia lowered her hand revealing the bright red mark on the side of her face. "I'm going to Kandrakar," said Cornelia calmly. "I don't care if _you_ don't want to come; I don't care if _you_ don't think it's a good idea…" she fixed Irma with a harsh gaze. "And I certainly don't care what _you_ think."

Cornelia touched the tips of her fingers together as though preparing to meditate. She closed her eyes, then pulled her hands apart. There was a burst of light that made Irma and Taranee cover their eyes. When the brightness subsided Cornelia had vanished.

"GO!" shouted Irma up into the sky as though she were calling after Cornelia. Irma felt both embarrassment and anger at her blond friend, and at herself. "See if we care! It's not like you care about anyone except yourself anyhow!"

"Uh, Irma?" asked Taranee. Irma spun on her friend.

"WHAT!" Irma shouted. For all the rage boiling in her eyes at the moment it would have been easy to mistake her for the fire guardian.

"Who… who is Will?" Taranee asked uncertainly. She was afraid to look Irma in the eye.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Will's Astral Drop hadn't stopped running since she had left the other girls behind. She hadn't stopped crying either. She hardly even noticed that the person chasing after her was Matt. That he had been calling out her name for the last few blocks.

At last he caught up with her, pulling her to a stop and into his arms. Will's Astral Drop buried her face against Matt's chest.

"I'm so sorry," said Matt, his face was pressed against the top of Will's head. "I'm sorry about Hay Lin."

All the fear, all the uncertainty that Will's Astral Drop had been feeling suddenly left her to be replaced by hate. Hay Lin? Was that who Matt was thinking about? Hay Lin! For a moment she wanted to shout at him, to push Matt away, to hit him...

But then the Astral Drop remembered, even when Matt was thinking about the girl he held in his arms, he was really thinking about someone else… about the real Will. She didn't exist to anyone! Her whole life was a lie! She was just an illusion created to…

_Created to what?_ she asked herself angrily. _Created to live a lie? To exist and never be loved? No, there had to be more than that! She had feelings. And Matt… Matt loved her… didn't he?_

Will's Astral Drop look up into Matt's eyes, the smile on his face made her tears subside into sniffles. _Even if it isn't my life there's no reason I can't pretend it is! Why should I be deprived of friends, of family… of love? It isn't my fault I'm not Will! It isn't my fault… that I love Matt…_

The girl pretending to be Will stood on tip-toes and leaned into Matt's embrace. Closing her eyes and pushing herself up towards his mouth to kiss him. Matt met her halfway and for one brief wonderful moment the girl who was not Will knew what it was like to be loved as if she were.

But the feeling quickly ended. Matt pushed her away, surprise and uncertainty in his eyes. In the distance there was a crack of thunder and a sprinkle of rain began to fall from the sky, the precursor of the storm that was to come.

"Matt! What's wrong?" cried Will's Astral Drop. She felt her tears return or maybe it was the raindrops on her face, she couldn't tell anymore. But from the look in Matt's eyes she knew exactly what was wrong.

"You're… you're not Will…" said Matt shaking his head and taking a step back. "You don't taste like Will…"

The Astral Drop felt her heart shatter. The girl clutched her hands to her chest and backed away uncertainly. Unable to look at the boy she loved, but who would never love her in return. The girl who had pretended to be Will for a moment broke into a run. She didn't look back or even see the world in front of her.

The sky bellowed again and split open with heavy rain, but Matt did not move under cover. He remembered this feeling, this taste… Pulling out his cell phone Matt began dialing. On the second number he reached Irma.

"Irma, listen, it's about Will, she's… I think she's an Astral Drop," Matt said, his sad eyes losing sight of the girl as she vanished into the curtain of rain.

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**A HUGE thanks to my beta readers! ****Waterclaws****,** **and ****MakesBadJokes**

**A big thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! **Taeniaea, KnightofFaerun, Dai Makai, lost prince, and XV-Dragon.

**Thank you everyone who is continuing to read!**

**I don't really have much to say on this chapter. So just onwards, I guess…**

**Starwin out.**


	11. E3 P3: What Once Was One

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Heart Strings

* * *

Part 3: What Once Was One

* * *

Cornelia fell, exhausted, to the ground. Never had she tried to teletransport so far before. The intensity of the spell had drained her strength greatly, and the blond haired Guardian of Earth could feel that her magic hadn't fully worked. It wouldn't be long before she was ripped back to Heatherfield.

As Cornelia opened her eyes she was relieved to find that she had indeed arrived in Kandrakar. But something felt very wrong. The light didn't seem to glow as brightly. The calming peaceful quiet that always filled the white halls had changed in tone to a haunting absolute silence.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Cornelia called out, but only the echoes of her own voice answered her. It felt like this place was… empty. Like she was all alone.

The blond haired girl shivered as a cold wind rushed past her. She had never felt cold in Kandrakar before. Something was indeed very, very wrong here! Wrapping her arms around herself, Cornelia set off towards the council chambers, if anyone was left in Kandrakar they would surely be there.

Cornelia hadn't walked far when she encountered something she knew did not belong. A large black crystal. One of its points was stuck into the ground and the whole thing was tilted at an odd angle. However, there was not simply one crystal, but hundreds of them!

The dark crystals seemed to suck the very glow out of the air. Cornelia reached out, her hand trembling, drawn by some unknown desire to touch the shiny surface. "No, leave them be!" a voice warned her. Cornelia pulled her hand back, her fingers hadn't even touched the crystal but they felt like they had been burned all the same. The blond haired Guardian backed away, looking for the person who had spoken.

"Hello? Who's there?" asked Cornelia, her voice shaking.

No one answered her. Cornelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Had she heard a voice just now? Or had it simply been her own thoughts, telling her not to touch things she didn't understand.

Shaking the thoughts away, Cornelia became focused once more, and continued on. The entire fortress was overrun with the jagged black crystals. Occasionally, Cornelia had to crawl on her hands and knees to avoid touching them. She could feel the heat crawling across her skin whenever she got to close to a crystal.

At last she reached the doors of the council chamber. She tried to open the doors, but they wouldn't budge. They were sealed shut. Taking a step back Cornelia held out her hand. If her friends had not been able to stop her, simple wood surely would not.

Letting lose a furious blast of energy, she focused her magic at the sealed entrance. For a moment it resisted, but Cornelia poured more power into her attack. With a horrendous crash the doors flew apart, breaking into splinters.

Cornelia's hands covered her mouth in shocked surprise and horror, but not for what she had done to the doors. "This… this can't be…" gasped Cornelia.

The once pristine circular room, the gathering place of the council of Kandrakar, had been completely defiled! Hundreds of menacing black crystals, each the size of a person, jutted out from the floor and walls.

"Dangerous… negative… magic," whispered the same soft voice that had warned her before. The voice seemed to come from deep within the field of crystals. This time Cornelia was sure it wasn't just her own thoughts. Taking another deep breath she moved cautiously into the maw of jagged gems, careful not to let them touch her.

The black surfaces of the crystals reflected her image, thousands of times over, like a hall of mirrors. It gave Cornelia the feeling she was trapped inside them. Cornelia came to a stop. Her body was quivering.

"There is not… much time," whispered a voice that made Cornelia jump in surprise. Cornelia spun around, looking in the direction of the voice.

Embedded in a crystal behind her was the Oracle. His head and most of his torso were still free of the gem prison. Veins of black were slowly creeping along his skin, trying to absorb the rest of him.

"Oracle! Are you alright?" cried Cornelia but oddly the Oracle smiled.

"I imagine I look worse than I… Than I feel," the Oracle said. "I've tried to contact you for over a week but…"

"Over a week!" exclaimed Cornelia. _Why hadn't Will said anything?_ The mistrust Cornelia had been feeling for Will increased. _Will had been lying to them!_

"… but it seems you still did not receive my message. I see the doubt in your eyes…" the Oracle continued. "You must not dwell on such thoughts. Now, more than ever before, is the time for unity."

"What's happened here?" Cornelia pressed. The Oracle coughed and the crystal expanded slightly entrapping him deeper inside it. "And I want some real answers this time!"

Even though the Oracle was in danger, maybe even dieing, Cornelia couldn't help but feel angry at him. The Oracle looked sadly at her, as though he had read her thoughts.

"The Empress of Rakadin used powerful magic to attack the elders of Kandrakar," stated the Oracle.

"One person did this?" cried Cornelia, surprised. She had heard about Serenity from Irma and Will, though they had said very little. _Well, now it was time for some answers_, Cornelia decided. "How is that even possible? Who is Serenity, really? And what does she want with Kandrakar?"

The Oracle took a deep breath as though gathering courage to speak.

"To understand the how you must first know the why. Some of the assumptions you have made about Kandrakar are incorrect," said the Oracle. Cornelia felt taken aback by this. She was about to ask what the Oracle meant but he held up his free hand to stop her. "You assume that Kandrakar has always been and that I have always held the position of Oracle. And that, like all other worlds, Kandrakar possess a Heart, Body and Soul of its own."

Cornelia was even more confused, but she had to admit, that was pretty much what she assumed. However, now that the Oracle mentioned it, such a thing seemed very… odd. After all Kandrakar couldn't always have existed… could it? And a Heart, Body and Soul? What the heck was he on about?

"The fortress of Kandrakar was built a long time ago. It was created at the center of infinity, where no world existed. Many great heroes, from many great worlds laid the foundation of the fortress, but it was not called Kandrakar then, it was called Indrakin.

"Indrakin was a place made by mortals, so while it was given form, a Body, it possessed no Heart to give it life, nor Soul to guide it. Without such simple things the people who lived in Indrakin began to lose their humanity, for they had no one to guide them.

"So, instead, the bravest and strongest of the heroes, an Emperor, called Ori, became ruler of Indrakin. His quest was to unite all worlds and all peoples. To bring peace and knowledge to all cultures and connect them to the infinite universe.

"At least that was how it started. But without a Soul for guidance of his actions, or a Heart to show him what was right Ori and the others lost their way. It was not long before their offer of peace and unity became little more than enslavement.

"Those worlds that did not bow to the rule of Indrakin and its leader were taken by force. No army could stand against the might of Ori. Backed by thousands of worlds Indrakin's armies were unstoppable.

"And then, one day, Ori set his sights on your world, on Terra. He commanded that they grovel before him, that they submit to his will, that they call him 'master.' But Terra had Guardians of its own. Four Dragons, each representing the elemental powers of your world, Earth, Fire, Water and Air."

"Wait a second!" interrupted Cornelia. "I've heard this story! Hay Lin had us put on a play about them!"

"What you have undoubtedly heard was the legend. It is known across thousands of worlds, each with its own version," explained the Oracle calmly, unperturbed by the interruption. "What I am about to tell you are the actual events. For all stories have a fragment of truth from which they are seeded." The Oracle paused for a moment waiting to see if Cornelia would interrupt him again, but she stayed quiet.

"The forces of Indrakin were fended off again and again by the Guardian Dragons of Terra," recounted the bald elder. "Ori's rage grew and grew. Until at last he decided that Terra was not worth taking anymore. So he ordered it destroyed, scorched, so that no life could ever claim the world again." Cornelia's eyes opened wider but she did not speak.

"However, there were those who disagreed with Ori. He had once been a great man on his own world before coming to Indrakin. But power had corrupted him and now he lusted only to lay claim to all he could see.

"Some, who had not become blinded by the influence of the Emperor, agreed that he needed to be stopped. Most prominent among them was a nymph by the name of Xin Jing. She tried to use words to convince the Emperor of his wrong doings, but words were no longer enough.

"Finally there was no more reasoning with him. Power had stolen even his sanity and the only choice left was to remove him by force."

"But that had to be thousands and thousands of years ago!" exclaimed Cornelia. She had suddenly realized that the Oracle was not just telling her some second hand story, he was recounting his own experiences!

"Indeed it was," the Oracle smiled.

"Uh, well you look good for being thousands of years old," Cornelia said awkwardly.

"I was a much different man then," continued the Oracle. "And there is much I regret from that time…" He shook his head sadly before continuing.

"The rebels of Indrakin knew they could not overcome Ori alone, so they sought help from the Guardian Dragons of Terra.

"The battle was long and terrible; hundreds of worlds were ravaged by the endless war. The four Guardian Dragons fought valiantly and finally, after many years, it seemed that victory was at hand.

"But the Emperor would not surrender, nor would he be defeated. Drawing upon forbidden magic Ori did the unthinkable. He ripped the very life essence from the four Guardian Dragons, taking away their magical power and causing the Dragons to vanish.

"However, the power of the Guardians was not lost. Xin Jing was able to rescue the Dragons magic, forming them into the Aurameres. And born from the Aurameres were eight people. Four females, representing the elements of the Guardians. Four males, symbolizing the aspects of the Dragons."

Something in Cornelia's head had just clicked. "Wait, you don't mean that those four women were the first Guardians!" exclaimed Cornelia. The Oracle inclined his head slightly. "And the four men were…"

"… The first Dragon Knights, yes," the Oracle finished when Cornelia's voice trailed off. "Their views quickly diverged. When they were created they had all been friends. But, ultimately, the Guardians wished to use their powers to protect, while the Dragons lusted to destroy.

"And things only got worse. The Dragon Knights sided with Ori and used the power of the Aurameres to continue his destruction.

"All would have been lost if not for the bravery and kindness of Xin Jing and the Guardians. With the help of the Guardians, Xin Jing called upon their combine powers to divide Indrakin in two. One part would stay at the center of Infinity, the other banished to the outskirts of the nothingness, at the edge of existence. All that had been wrong and evil was sent away in one half of the fortress, while all that had been good and right was set free.

"But, the strain of such a huge task was so great that Xin Jing was herself, divided. One part of her became the Heart of the newly formed Kandrakar. While the other part of her became the Soul of Rakadin." The Oracle stopped talking, his story over.

"And the Guardians and Dragon Knights?" Cornelia asked feeling she already knew the answer. "What happened to them?"

"Like the Auramere's, the Guardians and Dragon Knights were already divided," explained the Oracle. "The original Guardians stayed in Kandrakar and their mantel of power has been passed down through generations of young women ever since.

"The original Dragon Knights, on the other hand, were banished to Rakadin, where they served their new leader, Lord Kull, until Rakadin fell. What became of them after that I cannot say, for even I do not know."

"But that story still didn't answer my question! How could anyone have the power to do this to Kandrakar!" shouted Cornelia, as she waved her arm around, indicating the black crystals.

"The Heart is more than simply a symbol of Kandrakar's power, it is the very object that made it," said the Oracle. "But so is the Soul of Rakadin. I believe that Serenity now controls both, or at least has a strong influence over the Heart. Such control would grant her access to incredible power."

"Wait! What? That means that Will gave it to her!" Cornelia said, her head buzzing as she considered the implications. "Because Serenity couldn't have taken the Heart, it has to be given! And Will is on Earth with us, which means she must have given it to Serenity!" Cornelia had never felt so betrayed in her life.

"I cannot say for certain if that is true or not," said the Oracle, his eyes closing. "I have one final word of warning, young Guardian of Earth. The power you once thought was yours alone is once again shared by others."

"What?" asked Cornelia, not understanding what the Oracle meant. Why the hell did he have to be so damn cryptic all the time! Why couldn't he just tell her the things she needed to know!

"The Dragon Knights," said the Oracle. "Like you, their power is connected to the Aurameres. And like you, it is a powerful gem that connects them to that strength."

Cornelia opened her mouth to speak but instead she let out a cry of agony. She'd felt a stab of pain in her arm, like she had been burned. Cornelia raised her hand, her fingers had begun to fade away and she could feel the tingle of magic tugging on her.

"You are about to be taken back to Heatherfield. You must remember one thing above all others," said the Oracle. "Trust each other, believe in your friendship! Help Will. Save Will."

Cornelia's eye opened wide at these last words and in an instant Kandrakar was torn away.

* * *

End of Part 3: To Be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**First off HUGE THANKS to my Beta Readers who are working very hard: ****Kuramas Girl ****Angel****, ****Waterclaws**** and ****MakesBadJokes**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter: **XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, Dai Makai, KnightofFaerun, lost prince and DREAMCOLE

**And Thanks to all my readers!**

**Ah is there any word sweeter than exposition? Yeah, I can think of a lot of words in fact. That's why I deem this chapter not-an-exposition-chapter-but-a-story-of-things-that-happened-chapter-that-make-the-current-events-more-clear… chapter…**

**I guess exposition is a lot easier to say, eh? Well, in any case, you have some of the background story of the once mighty Indrakin. What's that you ask? Only some? **

**Teehee, what fun would it be to tell you everything now, but for those who really want to find out more there have already been several hints dropped throughout the story (foreshadowing FTW) about the true nature of Kandrakar and its people and Serenity.**

**Anyhow, onward to the final installment of this Episode: "Part 4: The Life That Never Was" posting this next Sunday!**

**Starwin out.**


	12. E3 P4: The Life That Never Was

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 3: Heart Strings

* * *

Part 4: The Life That Never Was

* * *

With a crash, Irma slammed the phone down, onto her desk, and growled in frustration. Will wasn't answering. Irma had tried several times now, but she kept going to Will's voice mail.

_Why does she even have a stupid cell phone if she doesn't answer it! _Thought Irma. _I know she must be upset right now but it's so unlike Will to ignore us… to ignore me_…

Irma let herself fall into her chair. She leaned back, to glance out the window. Dark clouds loomed in the sky outside. It looked like it might start raining any minute now.

Normally, Irma loved the rain. It reminded her of Hay Lin and herself, the perfect mixture of water and air… but there was something about the sky today, something that worried Irma. She couldn't say what it was, but the clouds just gave her a bad feeling.

"Well, this is just great," pouted Irma. She looked over her shoulder at the brown skinned girl who was sitting on her bed. Taranee was looking shyly at the floor, avoiding Irma's gaze. Irma spun her chair around to face Taranee. She hadn't said a word since they had arrived at Irma's house. "Cornelia is gone, Hay Lin is in the hospital and Will… well who knows where the hell she is! And you're just silently sitting there moping!"

Taranee's eyes flicked to Irma at the mention of Will's name but then quickly looked away. Outside there was a flash of lighting and a crack of thunder that made the glass in the window rattle.

"What's wrong with you?" shouted Irma. She stood up and advanced on Taranee, making the other girl inch away in fright. "What do you mean you don't remember Will? How could you possibly forget her!"

Irma snatched a picture frame off her desk. The photo inside was of Will and the other girls. It had been taken the first night they had all been together, at the costume party. Irma pointed at Will, who was wearing a black witch-like outfit and smiling, as though it was the happiest moment of her life.

"This is Will!" Irma shouted, holding the picture in Taranee's face so she couldn't look away from it. "This is your best friend, your leader, your…" The sharp ring of the phone interrupted Irma's rant. Irma haphazardly set the frame on the edge of her desk, where it wobbled unsteadily for a moment before toppling forward and crashing to the floor, breaking the glass.

"Damn it," Irma swore as she picked up the phone. She had really liked that frame, the picture inside it was special for her. Irma squatted down, phone receiver pinched between her ear and shoulder, while she started cleaning up the mess.

"What?" asked Irma harshly into the phone, as she carefully picked up the picture frame and examined the damage. "Oh, hey Matt, what's up?" said Irma, sounding disappointed. Irma suddenly stopped cleaning up.

"She's what! …An Astral Drop?" Irma shouted. She had dropped the picture frame again with a crash and stood strait up in shock. "Are you sure?" Taranee could hear Matt's muffled response but couldn't make out his words. Irma turned her back to Taranee as though wanting to keep the conversation private.

"If she's the one who attacked Hay Lin I'll make her pay!" Irma growled into the phone. "Where did you last see her? Uh-huh, uh-huh. Got it. Yeah, Taranee is here with me now, we'll be right there!"

Irma hung up the phone, her hand was shaking a little. The brown haired girl leaned heavily on her desk for support, her vision unfocused as her thoughts jumbled in her head. Her best friend… the person she trusted more than anyone else… She had been an Astral Drop… but why… and for how long? And where was the real Will?

Could this all possibly have something to do with why Taranee couldn't remember Will? And had it been the Astral Drop who had attacked Hay Lin? Irma balled her fist in anger, she was going to get to the bottom of this!

"Ok. Taranee let's…" but as Irma turned around it was a heavy blunt object that met her face, instead of her silent friend.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The Astral Drop was running blindly through the rain. Had there not been tears from the sky upon her face, her own streams of sorrow would have been running down her cheeks.

_It's not fair!_ the girl thought. _It's not fair that I'm not real! Not fair that my life isn't my own! I can't help to be anyone other than Will!_

But she wasn't Will. She was just a copy. She was a fake, a fraud, a… a fool. She had wanted to believe that Matt loved her. But he did not. She had wanted to believe that her friends cared for her. But they did not. She had wanted to believe that she was alive… but she did not.

The Astral Drop had betrayed Taranee, the one girl who had trusted the fake with all her heart. And for what? Serenity would never let her go, never let her live Will's life.

Running faster, the redheaded girl tried to shake the mixed up thoughts from her head. She didn't care where she was going, because any place was better than where she was. She didn't care that her clothing was soaked or that her whole body was freezing, because at least she felt something.

_I can feel, can't I?_ the Astral Drop asked herself. _More than just the cold, I have feelings. Doesn't that make me real?_ If she had expected an answer, the girl was disappointed, for none came.

Without looking she leapt out into the street. The horn of a car blared and the redhead turned, caught in its headlights. Its tires screeched and the vehicle swerved, skidding sideways. But, on the wet road there was little it could do to avoid the girl.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Slowly, Irma opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and her body ached. She wasn't fully aware of where she was, but when she tried to move her arms, she found that they had been bound above her head.

The shock of being restrained brought Irma to full consciousness. She was on her back, tied to her bed! She couldn't move! Her feet were bound too! And her shirt had been stripped away!

The captive Guardian struggled for a moment in panic, trying to get free. She tried to call out, but no sound came from her mouth. It was then that Irma felt weight across her lower body. The bed bounced as someone straddled her hips.

"Taranee?" Irma tried to ask, but again, her words were silenced. Taranee reached out a slow, deliberate hand and pushed it against Irma's bare stomach, it felt like she was trying to dig her fingers through Irma's skin.

Irma cried out in agony, but her screams were silenced by magic. She thrashed around on her bed trying to get free. The pain cause tears to escape her eyes. _Why? Why is Taranee doing this to me?_ thought Irma. Her mind jumped to the one person she trusted more than anyone else… _Will… please help me!_

However, even as she thought it, Irma knew Will would not be able to help her. Will was who knew where and most likely in trouble herself!

Irma had to convince Taranee to stop. To get the chocolate skinned girl to set her free. But, as Irma met Taranee's eyes, she could see that they were vacant, that the pupils had turned near white, that Taranee's face was expressionless. Whatever Taranee was doing, it was not her doing it, or at least she had no control over herself.

It was then that Irma saw the two shadowy forms standing behind Taranee. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed them until now, but they were blurry and hard to make out, like ghosts...

One of the ghosts looked very familiar and it was then that Irma realized she knew who it was! It was Serenity. The girl she had encountered in that dark and evil place. The girl who had set the vicious dragon monster on her. The girl who had threatened her friends.

Irma gritted her teeth but not from pain this time, from anger. Serenity was behind this! She was controlling Taranee! And Irma was willing to bet it was Serenity who had set lose the astral drop! Which meant she most likely knew where Will was!

Irma's aqua colored shifted to the other person, the demon, at least that's what it looked like. It had a silver dragon face and leather wings… and short red hair…. _It couldn't be… It can't be… Will…_

The thought was lost as Irma's body was filled with a terrible burning. It felt like Taranee was driving a red hot poker into her. Serenity was mimicking Taranee's movements, like a puppeteer, while the Demon stood between Serenity and Taranee, its hands placed on both as if it was some kind of conduit connecting the two together.

Serenity's face was strained. Whatever magic she was using to control Taranee seemed to be taking a huge amount of effort to perform.

Taranee dug her fingers into Irma's belly. Irma couldn't help but look down at her stomach. She half expected to see blood pouring out of her body but instead was surprised to see a golden thread wrapped around her middle.

Irma wasn't sure when it had been tied or by who, but somehow she knew it had been there a long time. Taranee was pulling on the string and it was cutting into Irma's flesh, causing her great distress.

A burst of flame suddenly erupted around Taranee's hand and the thread was cut. Irma felt new pain, as though she had been burned all around her middle. The pain spread quickly all across Irma's body, racing towards her heart.

Serenity lowered her hands slowly, closed her eyes in exhaustion and vanished without a word. However, the demon girl lingered a moment longer, her brown eyes visible through the slits in the silver mask. Irma met her eyes for a moment before the demon faded away too. A shiver ran up Irma's spine overpowering the pain for a brief moment.

_I was sure that was Will,_ Irma thought, _but it couldn't have been. Those eyes were so cold…_

Taranee suddenly slumped forward onto Irma. She lay there unconscious, her slow breathing the only indication that she was still alive.

A moment of silence passed before Irma realized she could speak again.

"Well, this is just great…" said Irma sarcastically. "I hope this doesn't end up on the internet."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The screech of tires and the impact of metal and plastic reached the Astral Drop's ears. She had closed her eyes and put her hands over her face for protection, not that she had believed it would help. But as she brought her hands down she found that she was somehow unharmed.

The red sports car had turned completely sideways to her and a large circular dent was pressed into the side of the door, where the vehicle should have impacted the Astral Drop.

The honks of angry drivers echoed in the distance.

The driver opened his car door and ran to the girl he had nearly killed. His face was panicked and distraught; he hardly seemed to notice the heavy rain crashing down on him

"Hey! Are you all right?" the man shouted through the noise of the rain. The Astral Drop didn't even hear him. The only thing she could hear was her ragged breathing and the uneven beating of her heart as she looked between her hands and the damaged car.

For a brief moment, there had been something, some kind of power. But that was impossible. She was just a copy. Beyond the small abilities of the gem she had been given, the Astral Drop had no magic of her own and certainly none of Will's powers! At least, not that she knew of.

The man moved closer to the girl and took her roughly by the arm. He shouted at her again through the rain. "Hey kid, I said, are you all right?" He looked mad.

When she did not respond again he followed her gaze. He was surprised to see the damage to his car… the impossible damage caused by this uninjured girl. Shocked, he looked back at her again, not letting go. His eyes were wide and his mouth fell open.

"What the hell just happened. What the hell did you do to my new car?" demanded the driver, his voice crackling with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Let me go," shouted the Astral Drop, trying to push the man away. Now that her shock was fading, fear had begun to take hold of her. But the man only gripped her arm tighter. His brain seemed to be putting two and two together as he looked between the girl and his damaged vehicle.

"You… my car?" the man growled, confused and unhappy.

"I said 'let me go'!" the copy of Will shouted. There was a flash-like-lightning between the two of them. The Astral Drop was freed as the man flew backwards, crashing to the ground and skidding across the pavement. Laying in a puddle, he looked up with frightened eyes at the red-headed girl.

"What… what the hell are you? Some kind of monster?" stammered the man. The Astral Drop clenched her fists, the panic upon her face transformed into rage. She was a person! Just like him!

Movement drew her attention to the other people who had gotten out to see what was going on. Quite a large crowd was gathering, they were whispering but she could hear their thoughts. _Freak. Monster. Demon._

Frightened and angry, the Astral Drop turned, running from the accident.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

A flash of light proceeded the reappearance of Cornelia. For a moment she stood unbalanced on her feet, as though she had been running very fast and come to a sudden stop. Her arms spun like windmills but, Cornelia could not regain her balance and crashed forward onto the wet earth, splattering her clothing in mud.

She had made it back to Heatherfield, but not at the same spot she had left from. Cornelia pushed herself up and looked around, confused. She seemed to have teletransported into some kind of forest. _Not a forest_, she realized, _the park!_ It was raining and the light of the day was almost completely gone. Time always seemed to move at a strange pace in Kandrakar but she didn't think she had been gone so long!

Normally the girl would have been horrified that her clothing and hair were to be subject to such abuse, as she lay in the muddy grass, under the heavy rain. But the tale she had just heard from the Oracle was still fresh in her mind. She had to find the others, to tell them what she had learned!

With great effort, Cornelia struggled to her feet. She was worn out from the strenuous magic. Taking a moment's rest, the girl gathered the strength she would need to teletransport once more to Irma's house, where the annoying brunette and Taranee would most likely be.

However, before she could cast the spell, someone, running very fast, collided with her. Cornelia was knocked off her feet for the second time and tumbled to the ground in a mess of arms and legs. When they finally came to a stop, Cornelia found herself on top of none other than Will.

The red headed girl was soaked, and from her puffy eyes it was easy to see that she had been crying. Will struggled to get free.

"Ah, Will— stop it's me, Cornelia!" Cornelia shouted, battling against Will's flailing limbs. But this seemed to only make Will fight harder. With a great effort Cornelia finally managed to restrain the struggling girl by pinning both her arms above her head.

"GET OFF ME, LET ME GO!" screamed Will, through tears and rage. The rain crashed down harder around them.

"Not until you tell me what's been going on!" Cornelia shouted back, continuing to hold the redhead down. "I know you've been lying to us and I want the truth!"

"She doesn't know what truth is, Guardian," came a calm voice from in front of Cornelia. "She was created to lie, and deceive." Startled, Cornelia let go of Will. Using this moment of distraction, Will managed to push Cornelia off. But neither girl got to their feet for they were both in shock at the sight before them.

Six people, all dressed in black, five of them wearing silver dragon masks and armor, stood in a circle around the two girls. Not only that, but the rain had stopped falling. It was being magically parted above the group, as if they stood under some invisible glass bubble.

"No!" Will cried. "No it's not fair! I'm real!" She stumbled to her feet and tried to run, but the Dragon Knight standing opposite Serenity caught Will by the arm. For a brief moment Will's face looked pained and surprised. Than, in an instant, Will shimmered away, vanishing as though she had never been.

"NO!" Cornelia shouted. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"You need not be concerned, she was simply a reflection of reality," replied Serenity. Cornelia felt confused. Serenity smiled and held out a hand towards the Dragon Knight who had just made Will vanish.

The silver mask came alive. The metal stretched and twisted as its mouth opened wider and wider, revealing the face that had been hidden behind it.

Cornelia gasped, the person behind the mask was Will! But something was different about her, something Cornelia couldn't explain.

"See, simply a copy of the original," explained Serenity, casually. "She is the real Will Vandom. Even if she isn't the one you remember."

"So the other Will was an Astral Drop?" asked Cornelia, unable to look away from the real Will. The redhead was hardly recognizable. Something about her eyes, they were different. Like it was a different person who was looking through them.

"Yes," answered Serenity. "But we don't need it any longer, now that Will has come to realize "WITCH" side she really belongs on." Cornelia looked back at the silver haired girl. "And without Will on your team, I guess you'll be nothing more than an annoying "ITCH"."

"Let her go!" Cornelia demanded.

"She is not my prisoner," replied Serenity. Cornelia felt a panic rise in her chest as Serenity took a step closer. The Guardian of Earth looked pleadingly at Will, hoping to see a wink or a tell that she was simply pretending, but Will remained impassive.

"She is my ally… more than that, really. More than you could ever comprehend. Will has joined Rakadin and the Dragon Knights of her own, free, 'Will', as it were."

"Come on Will! Snap out of it!" Cornelia pleaded. Will's face darkened as a shadow fell across it. It wasn't Will, it couldn't be Will! Cornelia had never seen her like this before. Serenity had to be controlling her.

"Hold her," ordered Serenity, pointing at Cornelia. In a flurry of movement, the Dragon Knights rushed forward towards the helpless Guardian. But before they could take hold of her, Cornelia summoned up her remaining strength, calling upon the power of Earth to protect her.

The ground shook as a mini earthquake spread out from under Cornelia's body. The Dragon Knights let out a cry of surprise as they were toppled off their feet. Cornelia pushed herself off the ground and broke into a run, dodging the outstretched arm of one of her assailants.

"Stop her!" cried Serenity. Cornelia sprinted away, as fast as she could. Her legs were already tired and she had only run a few meters! Shouts echoed from behind her as the Dragon Knights tried to regroup and find her in the dwindling light.

Unable to run any further Cornelia pressed herself up behind a tree, trying to hide from view. Her breath was coming hard and fast, each gasp of air burned in her lungs, she was exhausted. The trip to Kandrakar had taken a heavy toll indeed.

Cornelia bent forward as she tried to catch her breath. She rested her hands on the knee length white skirt she was wearing, it was heavily stained with mud. Had she not been so frightened and angry she might have noticed, or cared. But right now clothing was the last thing on her mind. She was soaked, shivering and cold. She was alone, with enemies all around her. And she couldn't simply run away.

"There's no point in hiding, Guardian!" shouted one of the Dragon Knights. His voice was distant and faint in the heavy rain. "There's nowhere you can run that we can't find you!" Cornelia did not answer. Instead she stood strait up, closed her eyes and pressed her fingers together once more, preparing to teletransport. She tried to force her breathing to calm and her hands to stop shaking, but she could not do either.

When she pulled her hands apart Cornelia felt a sharp jab in her chest. She did not have the strength left to cast the spell.

What was she going to do? She couldn't single handedly fight six people! Last time there had just been one of them and she had barely survived that!

"It's pointless to run, you know," said a voice interrupting Cornelia's thoughts. The blond haired girl's eyes snapped open. She was shocked to see Will standing only a few feet away, watching her. The Heart of Kandrakar was visible against Will's black clothing. It was tugging at her neck, pointing towards Cornelia. "As long as I have the Heart, I can find you anywhere you hide."

Cornelia's eyes locked on the redhead. Her face was so pale and her brown eyes, so different. She was dressed much like the other Dragon Knights with arms and shins clad in silver metal armor. Black karate like clothing hugged her body and her small fairy wings had been replaced with two large demon-like leather wings.

"Will! What did Serenity do to you?" demanded Cornelia. She wanted to run to Will, to embrace her, but instead Cornelia found herself trying to back away, pressing harder against the tree.

"She saved me," answered Will. The redhead stepped closer to Cornelia, holding out her hands and speaking in the same strong, yet shy, voice she had always used when trying to convince her friends. "Why can't you accept that she isn't your enemy! It's the Oracle!"

"The Oracle?" said Cornelia, her voice distraught. "Will, she all but killed him! She devastated Kandrakar!"

"No," Will shook her head, "we, devastated Kandrakar, together." Cornelia felt very afraid now. "I let Serenity use my power to stop the Oracle. All the Oracle has ever done is lie and trick us into doing his bidding. Don't you see? Serenity isn't evil. It's the Oracle. He's the monster!"

"She's right you know," said Serenity, as she approached Cornelia. The blond girl turned her head to find that Serenity had once more caught up with her. A bubble of magic still parted the rain above her. "Join us Cornelia." said Serenity, her eyes fixing on the Earth Guardian. "Like me and Will you are special, different from the others! You are destined for greater things! And united the three of us can put an end to the discord caused by the Oracle. We can make the universe right!"

Cornelia shook her head. "No way," said Cornelia through gritted teeth. The excited looked that had spread across Serenity's face changed to one of anger at Cornelia's rejection. "I don't know what you did to Will, or how you did it. But we will stop you, we will find a way!"

"I doubt that," said Serenity, her eyes narrowing. "You're just a weak, frightened, little bitch."

Rage flared in Cornelia's eyes. She lunged forward and punched Serenity in the face as hard as she could, knocking the younger girl to the ground. Cornelia pounced on top of Serenity, pinning her down.

"Stop it!" Will shouted, but Cornelia ignored her. Right now all of the fear inside Cornelia was turning into hate and anger.

"I'll kill you bitch," Cornelia hissed. Wrapping her hands around Serenity's pale neck Cornelia began to squeeze as hard as she could. Serenity gasped and struggled as she tried to pry Cornelia's hands away, her eyes widening with fright.

The bubble of magic holding back the rain burst and water crashed down onto the girls, but neither noticed. Nor did they notice that the gem around Serenity's neck had begun to glow in anticipation of a new owner. Or that it was feeding off the rage and anger Cornelia was putting out. Or that it was ready to be taken.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Will. There was a crackle of magic. A blast of lightning struck Cornelia, throwing her off the almost unconscious girl she had been strangling the life out of. Cornelia skidded through the mud, coming to a stop on her back.

Cornelia couldn't move. She couldn't even lift a hand to shield herself from the falling rain. All she could do was watch as Will moved to Serenity's side and knelt down next to her with concern.

Will helped Serenity to her feet and half carried her over to Cornelia. Serenity whispered into Will's ear. The redheaded girl knelt down and took firm hold of Cornelia's ankle. Cornelia tried to kick her foot away but she was too weak.

Will pulled off Cornelia's shoe and sock, before tossing them away and revealing her bear foot. Cornelia wanted to shout at Will but all she could do was grunt in pain.

With the gentlest of movements, Will took hold of something invisible, tied around Cornelia's ankle. The pain Cornelia had been feeling all over was suddenly drown out by the new agony coursing through her body.

Will pulled away the golden string that had been tied to the Earth Guardian. Cornelia let out a blood curdling scream. It felt like Will had cut her foot off!

Serenity took Will's hand that held the string. With a shimmer the string lost its golden glow. Cornelia was still whimpering in pain as she watched the girl she had thought was her friend look at her with cold, distant, eyes, like she didn't care that she had hurt her.

"Do not worry," said Serenity, her voice raspy and her words hard to understand. "With your connection broken, Will shall fade from your heart, until her face is just a distant recollection. It will be as if she never existed. But you need not feel sad; for Will has a greater purpose. She shall help bring unity to all worlds."

Again, Serenity whispered something into Will's ear. The redheaded girl took hold of the Heart of Kandrakar and pointed it towards Cornelia.

"I'm sorry that it had to be this way, Earth Guardian," said Will. Her eyes filled with sadness. "You should have joined us. I'll miss you."

Cornelia closed her eyes but she was still able to see the flash of light as the Heart's power lashed out at her. For a moment Cornelia felt like she was falling, like she had been ripped out of the universe and tossed into the sky. Then she crashed down onto something soft.

Cornelia opened one eye. In the darkness she couldn't be sure, but Cornelia thought that this might be her room, and that this might be her bed.

Had it all been a nightmare? Her body hurt so much and the pain in her heart was so great. But for whom she felt the pain, she was already starting to forget.

* * *

End of Episode 3!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**As always, big, big thanks to my BETA readers: **Kuramas Girl Angel**, **Waterclaws** and **MakesBadJokes**.**

**And another big thank you to those who took the time to review my work: **Taeniaea, lost prince, XV-Dragon, Dai Makai, DayDreamer9, KnightofFaerun **and** Kuramas Girl Angel

**Ah-haha, itch, I kill myself… Anyhow, things don't seem to be going so well for the Guardians! With their bonds of friendship quiet literally cut what dark fate will befall them? How will they be able to overcome the forces of darkness and save Will? When will these authors notes end!**

**You'll just have to wait and see in Episode 4 coming in two weeks! (So, not next Sunday but the one after that)**

**Thanks to everyone who is still reading, I know chapters seem to be slow and that you would like 4 of them every week, but quality work takes time (yes, ha-ha to those of you that just thought or said aloud, 'so why is it taking you so long Starwin?'). **

**Please feel free to leave a review to let me know what you thought about this chapter or the story, or my writing… **

**Anything else send me in PM or discuss in my Forum "Now with 50 percent more Punch and Pie" (Disclaimer: 'punch and pie' may not be available in all areas, ask you're local author if you are available for 'punch and pie'. Void where everywhere. (also 50**** percent **** more of 0 is still 0)) where you can go to discuss this and other Fan works I have done. Check it out via my profile.**

**Starwin out.**


	13. E4 P1: Broken Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Downfall

* * *

Part 1: Broken Heart

* * *

All was cold and silent in the Void, the place that was at the edge of the infinity, beyond existence. In this place, there was nothing, not even light. And at its very edge, at the point where there was no more of even the nothing, there was Rakadin. A fortress forged from dark deeds, divided and sent away from the light.

And, far, far, away from that dark place, at the very center of infinity was the kingdom of light, the castle in the sky, Kandrakar. It sat at the heart of the universe, in the middle of everything. The white halls glowed as though filled with sunlight and long streams of fluffy white clouds encircled the marble towers as it hung in the bright blue sky.

This was a place of peace, of solitude, and lately, of silence. For all who lived within had been sealed away in black crystals. All except one man, the Oracle, the supreme leader of Kandrakar.

There were some who called him a god, the god. But for all his power, the Oracle could not free himself from his prison. The black reflective gem held him captive, entrapping most of his body, and sealing away much of his power. Only a small portion of his upper body was still free.

The Oracle's eyes snapped open. He had been meditating, trying to conserve the energy he had left, but he'd sensed something a moment ago. An immense power forcing its way into Kandrakar.

His efforts to reach the Guardians had been futile. They simply could not hear him, or would not hear him and he feared that the Earth Guardian had not delivered his message.

The power that was working its way into Kandrakar pushed harder, any moment it would be here, within the walls, and then there would be no stopping it. There was no choice left. The Oracle had to act, even if the consequences would be disastrous.

Using all the power he had left the Oracle reached out across Kandrakar, his own magic feeling its way towards a room hidden deep within the fortress.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Within one of the many chambers of Kandrakar, a tear in the fabric of the universe began to open. The air fought back as though trying to force the rip closed, but it was no use. The power that had been fighting its way into Kandrakar had won out. With one last, violent push and a crack like thunder the tear split open.

Beams of white hot energy ricocheted off the walls and floor, leaving behind scorch marks. A roar echoed off the walls as the tear ripped apart — left in its place was a large glowing sphere.

The sphere crackled and sparked as it floated gently to the floor. When it touched the white marble it began to fade away, revealing its contents, its passengers — the invaders from the Kingdom of Rakadin.

The six strangers found themselves in the white halls of Kandrakar. No one had come to greet them, for there was no one left who could. But, had someone been there, the new comers would have made short work of them. For these people were warriors and they had come with hostile intentions. They were dressed in black fatigues and silver armor. These were the Dragon Knights of Rakadin, the enemies of Kandrakar.

"Ahhhhh!" screamed the redheaded girl among the Dragon Knights. Before any of them could even say a word the girl collapsed to her knees, holding her head as if she were trying to keep it from splitting open. There was a look of panic on the face of the girl who had been standing next to her. She rushed to the redhead's side.

"Will, what's wrong?" the silver haired girl asked. The other Dragon Knights looked on with uncertainty. Will was easing her eyes open and slowly letting go of her head. She was Will Vandom, Final Knight of Rakadin, Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar, Consort of the Empress.

"It's… it's nothing, Serenity…" Will said as she battled back the pain. "For a moment, when we arrived I just felt… I felt like something was trying to fight its way out of me…" Serenity looked concerned but said nothing. Serenity was their leader, and the Empress of Rakadin.

"So, what now?" The largest of the boys asked. He was Hayden Leen, the first Knight of Rakadin, the Bringer of Death. "Should we turn back?"

"No," Will replied as she struggled to her feet. Serenity helped her to stand. "No, I'm fine." Will smiled at Serenity to show her that she was okay. Serenity returned the smile but it did not reach her eyes.

"Will is right." replied Serenity. "We cannot turn back when we are so close. The reformation must take place as soon as possible and the best place to perform the ritual will be in the council chambers. That is where the magic of Kandrakar and Rakadin is strongest. But, keep your guard up, we may find more enemies here than we thought."

"Enemies?" asked a skinny boy. He too, had red hair but, unlike Will, he was clad in a full suit of silver metal armor that, oddly, made very little sound as he moved. His name was Dante Tuberonie, the third Knight of Rakadin, the Bringer of Darkness. "I thought you said this place was empty?"

"No," said the boy who stood next to Dante. Shorter than all the rest, this blond haired boy was named Alex Makson, the second Knight of Rakadin, the Bringer of Light. "Can't you sense that? There is still a powerful magical presence here."

"Maybe it is simply the power of this Oracle we have heard so much about, but have yet to meet," answered an Asian boy. He was looking cautiously around as though expecting the Oracle to suddenly spring out at them. He was Owin Ni, fourth Knight of Rakadin, the Bringer of Life.

"Perhaps," said Serenity, her voice soft and thoughtful.

It was then that an ear splitting roar caused the halls to shake. The sound was an inhuman cry of pain and rage.

"No…" whispered Will, her eyes widening slightly. "It can't be… an Altermere."

"An Alter-what?" Dante asked.

"An Altermere, the power of a guardian given shape." Serenity answered. "Forcing our way into Kandrakar must have awakened it. With no one to tend to the balance of the Aurameres, one of them must have gotten lose and changed into an Altermere."

"Pfft, so what," said Alex, sounding a little cocky. "We kicked the shit out of the guardians the last time. All we have to do is fight one of their powers? No problem." Alex shimmered and vanished moving faster than any of them could see.

"Stop!" Serenity shouted after him, but Alex was already gone. "Idiot."

"Dante," Serenity commanded without turning to face the boy standing behind her. "Go and get him, don't let him attack the Altermere." Dante hesitated for a moment. Serenity turned on him, casting a penetrating glare at the boy.

"Alright, I'm going," Dante said holding up his hands. Darkness began to swirl around him and in an instant he was gone.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

With a blur of motion, Alex reappeared. He didn't actually have the ability to teleport, that was an illusion of his speed. He could move so fast that he became nearly invisible. But such speed was not without its hazards. The faster he moved the less of the real world he could see, until everything became little more than a streak of color.

However, Alex did not need to see what he was looking for. He could sense the magic in the very air as he got closer to the Altermere. His heart was pounding, but not from exertion. It was the magic, the feeling was so strong.

The Altermere was close and it was powerful. Alex walked slowly, following the feeling. His hand slid along the wall, the magic was beyond this stone. For a moment, Alex considered blasting his way through, but it was then he noticed a door only a few feet away.

The door was not locked so Alex pushed it open. On the other side was a large oval shaped room. The air twinkled with light and two great tiered fountains stood like towers at either end. Their water basins were connected by a narrow stream. An arch bridge crossed the stream exactly in the center of the room.

But Alex was not interested in the details of the room. His attention had focused on the magical entity at the far side. Lumbering slowly through the pools of the far fountain was a great beast made of water. It was shaped like a human but made from blue liquid, the same color as the fountain. It was not solid, but see-through and its form distorted the features of the room behind it. The watery body broke the light apart, casting a shimmering reflection against the far wall, instead of a shadow.

Holding out his hand and taking careful aim, Alex pointed a finger at the Water monster. He would make this quick, he would make this fast, he would kill it in one perfect shot. Energy built at the tip of his finger, his hand burned with the light of the sun.

But as Alex let loose the bolt of light a silver armor gauntlet struck his wrist. The bolt of light shot across the room, but did not pierce the monster's head, as Alex had intended. Instead it passed through the Water-mere's chest, burning a hole the size of a basketball.

The light continued on as the Water-mere roared in pain. The energy burned through the support of the fountain and the structure broke away, cleanly cut in half.

Alex felt the metal hand tighten on his wrist, but he did not utter a word of pain, instead he scowled at the boy who had made him miss.

"I could have killed it in one shot!" Alex said angrily as he tried to yank his hand free. Dante, the boy who had stopped Alex, glared back.

"Serenity said no." growled Dante.

"Defilers!" roared a voice that echoed from the walls. The voice was so loud that it drowned out both the argument of the boys and the cries of the Water-mere.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The booming voice caused the rest of the Dragon Knights to move closer together. "Leave this place. You are not welcome here. Your magic is not welcome here."

"That's probably not a good thing." Will said as she looked around for the source of the voice. Serenity scowled but did not say anything.

There was another roar, like the distant one they had heard before the voice, but this time the roar was much closer.

"Another one?" Owin asked.

"Something tells me this just got a lot more complicated," Hayden said. His mask moved, and the jaws closed, swallowing his face until only the silver dragon mask was visible again. His eyes glowed blue. "I can see at least four of them, they are glowing the same color as the guardians. And the one coming towards us is…"

"Earth…" whispered Will, taking a step back and shaking her head. She had a terrible feeling growing inside her. One part of her wanted to run away while the other wanted to stay and fight. Why was she so afraid of the Altermere?

The white marble floor cracked as the Altermere of Earth strode into view. It was the being given form from the elemental power of Earth and its appearance was alarming. It was slender and tree like, though its body was made of sand and stone. Its fingers were long blades, just like its legs.

"Destroy it," Serenity commanded, her tone cold and emotionless. Owin and Will looked at Serenity in surprise but Hayden turned his magic on the Earth-mere. He held out his hand and focused his power towards his fingertips.

"Death," Hayden whispered. A black bolt of smoke lashed out from his hand tearing off one of the Earth-mere's arms. It roared with rage.

"I think you just made it more angry," Owin said, shooting an unhappy glance at Hayden.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"It can't feel anger!" Alex snarled as he shot another bolt of light at the Water-mere. "It isn't alive, it doesn't know what anger is!"

With one more powerful blast, the Water-mere burst apart, raining down in droplets into the fountain. Alex smiled nastily.

"The real Guardian put up more of a fight than that," Alex said as he lowered his hand. Dante was about to answer but it was then that a strong wind crashed into the two of them. Alex was lifted off his feet and tossed into the fountain behind them.

However, Dante was too heavy to move, and the wind had no choice but to rush around him instead. Dante narrowed his eyes trying to force them to see the invisible. Because he knew it must be the Altermere of Air that had attacked them. Its body flickered in and out of existence as it picked up dust and water particles, but its true shape was indistinguishable.

"Looks like you woke up its friend," Dante shout at Alex. Alex was still sitting in the fountain. Had his face not been hidden by his dragon mask it would have been contorted with rage.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Hayden held up his silver gauntlet just in time to block the attack from the Earth-mere. The Earth-mere had lashed out its remaining stone arm with deadly speed at Hayden. Hayden grabbed the stone limb and his power flared. The rock turned to dust in his hand and he snapped the tip of the blade off.

The monster roared in pain, retracting its injured limb before launching a wave of stone shards at Hayden. However, before they could reach their target, Owin gave the shards of stone life, changing them into many flying bat like monsters.

The newly created demons changed direction and flew back at the Earth-mere, and began to assault it. The Earth-mere fought against the new attackers, however the real danger was not from them.

With its attention elsewhere it was easy for Hayden to launch a second shot. The bolt of negative energy struck the Earth-mere full on and it crumbled to the ground in a pile of rubble. It hadn't been alive, because Hayden had felt no life there.

Even still, it had had put up quite a struggle and Hayden was breathing hard from using so much power back-to-back. But it seemed there would be little time to rest for his magical vision had just spotted the next Altermere approaching. The Altermere of Fire.

They all felt the heat before they saw the flames. When the Fire-mere was finally before them it roared with rage at what had been done to its companion. This Altermere had the shape of a woman, though flames rippled across its body instead of skin. It had no legs, just a long trail of fire. And although the Fire-mere burned it gave off no smoke.

Owin acted first this time, commanding two great hands to form from the walls and block the passage before them, sealing the Fire-mere on the other side. However, almost instantly, the newly formed wall began to glow red with heat as the Fire-mere attempted to burn through the blockade.

Serenity frowned. She could feel the presence of the Altermeres, just like Will. But it was not the fact that they were being attacked by the Fire-mere that caused her concern. She only counted four Altermeres, when there should have been five…

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The air crashed into Dante again, but he was solid like a mountain and would not be moved.

"Stop messing around and kill it already!" Alex shouted as the Air-mere knocked him off his feet yet again. Dante smiled from behind his mask. He was quite enjoying watching Alex getting knocked around.

"Alright, alright," Dante said at last. Holding up his hands Dante created a portal of darkness as the air rushed at Alex. There was no time for the Air-mere to change directions. It raced into the darkness and was gone. Dante let the portal collapse, trapping the Air-mere inside.

Alex struggled out of the water. "It took you long enough!" growled Alex as he shook his wet clothing. "Where'd you send it anyhow?"

"No idea, but you're welcome to step through and find out," Dante said creating another portal of Darkness in front of Alex. Alex glared at him. Then with a burst of speed he vanished.

Dante sighed and followed after, moving through the shadows.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The rock wall exploded outwards shooting molten stone at the Dragon Knights. Will held up her hands creating a shield of magic to deflect the debris. The Fire-mere floated through the hole it had just burned, its heat almost unbearable.

Holding up its hands the Fire-mere began to pour streams of fire down onto the Dragon Knights. Will put more magic into her shield, holding back the assault, but her face was tight with fatigue. Keeping the shield up was talking all her strength.

"Serenity, help us fight it!" Owin pleaded as the silver haired girl stood there and watched the battle. Even Will looked at her with uncertain eyes.

"I can't," said Serenity. "They have no souls."

The flames grew hotter and Will was forced to a knee as she kept the shield in place. The energy bubble flickered as though it was about to go out.

Suddenly the Fire-mere roared in rage. Its streams of flame stopped and its arms reached around its back as though trying to grasp something. Then its face froze in shock and surprise as a thin line of absolute darkness cut it in half.

The flames for the Fire-mere flickered and went out as the portal closed. Half of the Fire-mere was taken along with the closing portal.

Dante and Alex stood in the hole that Fire-mere had burned, both looked smug.

Will let her shield drop. She looked flushed and hadn't been sure if she would have been able to hold out much longer.

"Well done," Serenity said. "But if you hadn't attacked them in the first place they would most likely have left us alone!" Her expression darkened into anger as she focused on Alex.

"Hey, now they're completely gone," Alex said. "We don't ever have to worry about them ever again!" But just as Alex stopped speaking there was a roar from behind him. Neither he nor Dante had enough time to defend themselves as they were struck down by bolts of lightning, which their armor did little good to protect them against.

A being made from whirling pink energy erupted from the hole like a cannon ball. It crashed to the ground just behind Hayden and Owin. With another burst of power lighting forked out of the Altermere, striking the pair. Hayden was thrown backwards, crashing hard into the wall while Owin simply fell to his knees with a cry of pain.

The Altermere turned to Will. Her eyes grew wide, but she was too surprised to act. The pink being of energy looked vaguely human, with arms, legs and body. But it had no face or other features. It reached out its massive hands and grabbed Will by the arms so that she could not run away, or fight back.

Will let out a scream as she felt electricity burn through her body. Lightning shot out of both Will and the Altermere. The energy bounced off the floor and walls making it impossible for anyone to get close to them.

Will struggled, trying desperately to get free of the Altermere's hold. The pain hurt so much and she was so afraid. Serenity was shouting something but over the roar of energy Will couldn't make out the words, that is, until a tiny voice spoke to her.

"It isn't fair," the voice said. Will wasn't sure where it came from. "I have just as much right, more even…" Will knew the voice, it was one she had known all her life… her voice…

The featureless face of the Altermere flickered and for a very brief moment Will saw her own reflection in the face of the Altermere. With blinding speed the Altermere snatched the Heart of Kandrakar from around Will's neck and tossed her away.

With a crack Will crashed into the marble wall. Pain coursing through her body Will touched the place on her chest where the Heart should have been, but it was not there. It had not returned to her, it had not come with her.

The precious pink gem was held in the palm of the Altermere who had taken it from her. Taken the Heart! Something that should have been impossible!

The Altermere raised the Heart of Kandrakar into the air. Will tried to get to her feet but between the lightning and the impact with the wall she could hardly stay conscious, let alone get to her feet.

The Heart of Kandrakar began to glow and the Altermere let out a roar that shook the halls. With a crack like thunder and a flash brighter than the sun, the Heart and the Altermere shattered, racing away in beams of light.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Defeated. They had been tossed aside so easily. Serenity looked down at her Dragon Knights with anger. A single Altermere had bested her elite soldiers, even Will. Serenity's eyes fell on the unconscious redheaded girl, the Heart was missing from around her neck.

The scowl on Serenity's face darkened. This day was lost but there would be another time for vengeance. Lifting the Soul of Rakadin into the air Serenity transported her Knights back to Rakadin.

* * *

End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Big thanks to my BETA readers: ****Kuramas Girl ****Angel****, ****Waterclaws**** and ****MakesBadJokes****.**

**Thank you to all my reviews (who reviewed last chapter):** XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, lost prince, KnightofFaerun, Dai Makai and DayDreamer9

**And thanks to all my readers who continue to read this story! I hope you are enjoying it!**

**This chapter has been massively transformed, over and over. While the idea remained the same the whole path to get there has been reworked from the ground up like eight or nine times now.**

**I still feel like it is missing, something… but what that something is I don't know… Anyhow, this rewrite managed to kill out my Part 3, but I was able to fix it, again…**

**This episode has caused me a lot of grief, I don't know why, every other episode has flowed without problem, this one, I had to rework over and over and over, not just tweak.**

**Anyhow… I'm starting to ramble, and I'm really, really tired from all the traveling I've done this week — so I'm going to take a nap now. See you all next Sunday!  
**

**Starwin out.**


	14. E4 P2: I is for Irony

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Downfall

* * *

Part 2: I is For Irony

* * *

At first, when Will opened her eyes, all she could see was blackness. For a moment she thought she had gone blind, but as the daze of sleep faded away she realized the darkness was simply the low light of the room.

Sensation and reason was slowly returning to her now that she was out of the clutches of sleep. There was a cold damp cloth on her head, nice warm blankets around her and a soft bed beneath her. She was in her room, in Rakadin.

Removing the cloth, pulling off the covers and sitting up, Will tried to workout how she had arrived here. The last thing she remembered was being in Kandrakar and fighting the Altermere. And… and the Heart of Kandrakar!

With a rush of panic Will's hand flew to her chest, searching for the precious gem, but it wasn't there. It had been taken away, it hadn't been a nightmare! But that should have been impossible…

Will's thoughts flashed back to Kandrakar and the battle with the Altermere. It had spoken to her, and its words echoed in her mind and it's face burned into her thoughts — just for a moment that thing had her face…

Will shook her head, pushing out the memories. No, it hadn't had her face, it hadn't spoken to her, it had all been a dream, a horrible dream! The Heart hadn't been taken, she had just misplaced it in her room!

Her limbs shaking and her mind frayed Will stumbled out of bed and began to search for the pink jewel. It wasn't gone, it was here, somewhere, and she would find it!

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Hayden was wandering across the flat, empty plains that surrounded Rakadin. He was looking for something, though it seemed no matter how hard he tried it was impossible to find in this empty nothingness. He wondered how furious Serenity must be right now at their failure to take Kandrakar.

The silver haired empress had brought them back to Rakadin in defeat and she had not been happy. Serenity had ordered them all out of her sight, since Hayden and the other boys had suffered only minor injures.

Will was another matter though, she seemed to have taken the brunt of the attack. But Hayden had not stuck around to find out what Serenity intended for the redhead. He had done as he was ordered.

Laughter broke Hayden's lips at the thought that he, of all people, had followed orders. As the laughter subsided Hayden spotted something through the curtain of rain. Without a second thought he began to run, sprinting as fast as he could.

His breath uneven as he came to a rough stop. Hayden had found what it was he was looking for out in the nothing. He wasn't sure how or why he had remembered this place, or how he'd found it, or why he'd come all the way out here in the pounding rain, but here he was all the same.

The earth here was torn ragged from battle. Great fissures cut across the ground, and pillars of stone jutted into the air in great spikes. But it was slowly returning back to the flatness it had once been, as if the rain were washing it away, like a water-color painting. All of it except for one segment, the curved stone where he had encountered the two Guardians huddled together for protection.

Looking intently at the spot, Hayden listened to the rain. The falling water dulled the pain in his heart. It drown out the emptiness he had felt all his life. It washed away the troubled reality that was forced upon him. But it did not make him forget.

He was death. Not simply one who could bring it, but death given shape and form. His purpose was to kill. He had felt it the first time he had used his powers on another human, on Cornelia, the golden haired Guardian of the Earth.

It had felt so good. An indescribable pleasure and yet the feeling had made him sick and every time he closed his eyes he could see her pale face burned into his eyelids.

The only thing that made the memories bearable was the fact that he had not killed her. That she had recovered and been alive and well, attending classes like normal.

Normal… what was normal about any of this? Slowly, without thinking about it, Hayden got down and crawled under the shelter of stone.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Alex stood at the edge of the silver pool. It was not normal. That was what Alex had decided. The rage and anger he had felt when fighting. The rage he had felt his whole life.

It was like there was a monster inside him. A monster that had wanted to beat the water guardian until she stopped moving, until she stopped living. And when he had killed the Water-mere in Kandrakar… it had felt so good. All he wanted to do was kill more of them, all of them, over and over… Alex shook his head. He didn't want that!

He closed his eyes and remembered the writing he had read on the doors of this room. He had seen the shapes and symbols. He had understood their meaning. Alex knew what this room was and what the silver water was for. It was for forgetting. And Alex wanted to forget. He wanted to forget everything!

But as Alex looked down at the silver liquid he scoffed. What good would forgetting do him? It wouldn't take away his desire to hurt others. Nothing could take that away.

The blond haired boy clenched his fist. The desire to hurt was starting to return, he had to fight it back.

What was wrong with him, what was wrong with all of them? Why had they come here? Why had they trusted Serenity?

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Dante punched the air again. He was in his room, wearing nothing but his pants. His silver armor was strewn out across the floor, where he had haphazardly tossed it when he had arrived. _Why did I trust Serenity?_ Dante wondered to himself as he boxed with an imaginary partner.

Fighting always helped him take his mind off things. Verbal shouting was ok, but hitting someone else always seemed to work better for Dante. Whenever he was nervous or annoyed he just started a fight with someone, usually Hayden, to work through the issue.

Right now he was both nervous and annoyed. He had thought that this Serenity 'chick' would make his life better. But she just looked down on him, like everyone else. She hated him, just like everyone else.

And what was wrong with Hayden anyhow? Serenity had ordered them away and Hayden hadn't argued, he'd just obeyed like some kind of lap dog! Dante punched the air harder and faster, it was Hayden's face he was visualizing in front of him right now.

Dante had never listened to anyone except for Hayden for as long as he could remember. So why had he listened to Serenity? Why had he blindly followed this strange girl that had appeared out of thin air?

She had changed them into her Bringers, her Dragon Knights. But she had changed more than that. Dante could feel that something was different inside him. Like she had taken something from him, but he couldn't remember what.

The image that Dante was imagining suddenly changed to Serenity and Dante punched at her as hard as he could. His fist crashed into the wall with a sickening crunch. He was breathing hard but, it didn't hurt at all.

How long could he trust Serenity? How long could he trust any of them?

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Owin sat with his eyes closed in meditation. He was in the throne room, where his connection to Rakadin was strongest. He did not trust Serenity.

The Guardians seemed to have done nothing wrong, seemed to be just normal girls, trying to do what was right. And after what he had witnessed with the Earth Guardian back in Heatherfield, Owin was significantly less sure that he had chosen the right side.

Using his magical eye he was scowering Rakadin, searching for whatever it was that made him feel unease. He had suspected for a long time now that Serenity had been hiding something from them, that she had not given them the whole truth. And Owin was determined to find out what it was she was hiding.

As his distant vision raced around the blackened walls of Rakadin, Owin at last began to see it for what it was. Not glorious and mighty, but dark and empty. Now that he had his eyes closed, he could see the truth. Rakadin was a place of evil. A place where the very deeds of those within the walls had tainted the stone black.

Why had he helped? Why had he done such things? Owin looked for answers inside himself. But he found only the feeling that something had been taken from him. Stolen from him.

Owin was pulled away from his thoughts as his eye spotted Serenity, walking alone.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Serenity did not knock on the door to Will's room, she simply entered, expecting to find the redhead still asleep. However, Will was not asleep. She was on her hands and knees, crawling around the room.

"Will, what are you doing?" Serenity asked confused and concerned that Will was out of bed. Will looked up at Serenity, her eyes desperate and her face panicked, she looked like she didn't really know where she was.

"The Heart, I… I must have… it has to be here some place," cried Will her voice uneven and distressed.

Serenity frowned. "It's gone Will." Serenity said. She had tried to keep her voice calm, to be steady and solid but her own sorrow crept into her words. "The Altermere took it, I'm sorry."

"No, no, no!" shouted Will, tossing the away the pillow she'd picked up to look under. Will broke down crying, her body shook uncontrollably. Without hesitation, Serenity cross the room quickly and embraced the redhead, holding her tightly and letting the girl cry into her shoulder.

"I know how you feel," said Serenity, trying to comfort Will. Will suddenly pushed Serenity away, anger flaring up in her eyes.

"How can you possibly know what it feels like!" Will shouted. Serenity's mouth twitched a little, but she did not shout back. Instead she stood and offered Will her hand.

"Do you really want to know, Will?" Serenity asked. The hurt in Serenity's voice put a halt to Will's anger and tears. "I can show you what it is I lost."

Without a word Will took Serenity's hand, and the silver haired girl helped her to her feet. The two girls left the room silently, both unaware that they were being followed by an all seeing eye.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Serenity led Will deeper into Rakadin. It was time for Serenity to show the redhead just what had been stolen from her. To help her truly understand the evil of the Oracle, of Kandrakar. To prepare Will for the difficult times to come.

"Where are we going?" Will asked

"To the center of Rakadin, I suppose he thought it would be funny," replied Serenity.

"Who?" Will asked confused. Her own sorrow had faded a little now that she had gotten over the shock of losing the Heart. And now, she was very curious as to where it was they were going.

"The Oracle," answered Serenity as she looked away. There was a moment of silence before Serenity's eyes flicked back to Will and she spoke again. "Will, do you remember the black crystals in Kandrakar?"

Will nodded. She recalled that there had been quite a few black crystals scattered throughout Kandrakar and Will knew what they were. Will had been fully aware of Serenity's actions when they had imprisoned the elders inside them.

And, although Will felt a little guilty about what they had done, she agreed with Serenity. The Oracle and everyone that followed him, were a threat.

"Have you ever wondered why I chose that spell?" asked Serenity.

Will raise and eyebrow. "I… I didn't really… no…" Will answered at last. Serenity came to a stop next to a large sealed door. The door was plane and had Serenity not stopped at it Will would have walked right past.

Serenity placed a hand against the surface of the wood. There was a faint glow of magic as she unsealed the lock.

"Irony," Serenity answered quietly. She pushed open the door. The air became cold so that their breath hung in the air like smoke when they exhaled. Blinding white, bright light, poured out from the room beyond. Will shielded her eyes against the glare.

When at last she blinked the brightness away, Will was able to see where the light was coming from, or rather what was making it. Thousands upon thousands of floating white crystals, each a little larger than a person, hovered just above the black marble floor. Each crystal glowed, theirs surfaces a reflectionless, opaque white.

"This can't be…" said Will as she took a step into the room.

Will held out a hand towards one of the crystals, but quickly pulled it back. The white crystal was cold as ice. Will could feel its chill without even touching it.

"This was the final gift from the Oracle," whispered Serenity as she moved next to Will and looked upon the room with sadness. "All of those who once lived in Rakadin are now trapped forever in crystal prisons until the end of time."

"But can't you set them free?" asked Will as she looked with sad eyes at Serenity. "Can't the two of us together…" Will's voice trailed off as she saw the weak smile on her friend's face. Will already knew the answer before Serenity spoke.

"No. My magic is not boundless, as our defeat in Kandrakar well proved. But I have not lost hope, for there is a way to free them," said Serenity. "When these crystals enter Kandrakar the spell will be broken. When we join Kandrakar and Rakadin together again, we will have our army. And I will have my family.

"Will, I know what it is like to lose something precious to you," said Serenity, looking Will in her big brown eyes. "But you cannot give up your hope because you've already lost so much… more than you realize… but once you get the Heart back we can make everything right, I promise."

"Once I get the Heart back?" Will asked confused. "But it could be anywhere! On any of the infinite worlds!" Serenity smiled. It seemed like the first time in a long time.

"The Heart can not be taken, especially not from you," Serenity said. "Listen and you will hear its song. Close your eyes, and listen."

Confused, Will closed her eye's not sure what she was listening for. There was nothing, just her breathing.

"It isn't working! I can't hear anything," Will said shaking her head and feeling stupid.

"Just listen. Listen to your own heart," whispered Serenity.

Will closed her eyelids tighter and strained her ears trying to hear whatever it was she was supposed to hear. But there wasn't anything, just her breathing and… and her own heartbeat.

Its slow rhythm was soothing and Will felt her body relaxing as she listened to it. Soon the sound became more than just the music of her own heartbeat, it became a feeling. She could feel her heart beating. She could feel it across her whole body!

And there was something more! Something distant. Not a heartbeat, but music. A song, a melody she remembered from a long, long time ago. Will eyes snapped open and she looked at Serenity in shock.

"Heatherfield…" Will said. "The Heart of Kandrakar is hidden in Heatherfield."

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Super-giant-mega THANK YOU SO MUCH to my BETA readers who have worked very hard to help proof this story: ****Kuramas Girl ****Angel**** and ****Waterclaws****.**

**THANK YOU to all the people who left a review for last chapter: **Taeniaea, DayDreamer9, Dai Makai, XV-Dragon, lost prince and KnightofFaerun! **(you are all awesome!)**

**And of course, thank you all my readers who keep coming back for more! If you like this story please feel free to leave a review, discuss it on the forums or even PM me to let me know! … or just continue to read, either is fine.  
**

**So, a little history on this chapter, and the one after it (and before it). Originally, I wrote this part intending it to be the first chapter of this episode, however, it's a little slower than I like an episode intro to be and has a medium amount of the E word (that's 'Exposition' for anyone who is wondering), so I didn't want to start off with it. **

**Thus, I re-wrote part 2 (now part 1, don't worry, if you aren't confused yet, you soon will be) to take its place. But I didn't like that as the first chapter, so I switched the two (making this the first chapter once more!)**

**But I still didn't like it! So I took this chapter out completely, made part 2 into part 1 (again), took part 3 and broke it in half to be parts 2 and 3!**

"**Haha, Genius!" I cried. Until I read the episode as a stand alone piece and damn it, no matter how many times I read it, parts 2 and 3 just had to be one chapter! They just didn't work as two!**

**So, out came the duct tape and I put 2 and 3 back together as part 3, brushed the dust off this chapter, licked the back and stuck it between part 1 and 3, and for the moment that's where its staying… until tomorrow…**

**Anyhow, I still don't much care for it, but it has to be, no way out of it now. Maybe I'm just hating on it because I really want to get to episode 5. It's my favorite part of the story!**

**Anyhow… next chapter next Sunday! I hope you've enjoyed!  
**

**Starwin out.**


	15. E4 P3: Washed Away

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Downfall

* * *

Part 3: Washed Away

* * *

The rain that had started yesterday had not stopped. In fact, if anything, it had intensified. Long rain storms were not uncommon in Heatherfield. Sometimes, it rained for days, even weeks, but there was something odd about this rain.

It didn't look any different. It didn't smell any different. It didn't feel any different. However, it was different. But nobody noticed.

One of the many people who gave little thought to the rain today was Matt Olsen. In fact, hidden under his black umbrella, he hardly even noticed that it was raining. His thoughts were elsewhere and his mind was on more important things.

There was a feeling Matt couldn't shake, an unsettling sensation that was troubling his heart. The Guardians had not sent word and Matt wondered what trouble the astral drop might be causing.

Taking a small device out of his pocket, Matt glance at the glowing image of Will that adorned the screen of his cell phone. He was tempted to try messaging his girlfriend, but how would he be able to tell if it was his Will who answered or the fake?

"Will… Where are you?" Matt whispered as he pushed the phone back into his jacket pocket. But as he looked up the first person he saw was… Will! In the sea of black coats and umbrellas he knew that bright red hair anywhere! Moving quickly towards her, he forgot that she might be the impostor.

Matt reached out a hand towards Will but stopped. The group of people Will was talking with weren't the other girls. In fact they weren't even girls, they were boys! Hayden and his gang, no less! And standing next to Will, with an arm holding her tightly around the waist, was a beautiful girl with shoulder length silver hair.

"Will?" Matt stammered. The conversation stopped and the redhead glanced over her shoulder to see who had intruded upon them. There was a look of suspicion and uncertainty on her face as Will's eyes fixed on Matt.

"Uh, can I help you…" asked Will awkwardly. Matt was surprised by the distant, cold tone of her voice.

"Will, I have to talk to you," said Matt as calmly as he could. Something was definitely wrong. Will was acting like she didn't even know who Matt was. "Right now," Matt added when no one moved.

Something was definitely not right. Matt couldn't put the feeling into words. This Will was different somehow. The way she was dressed, all in black and silver, definitely not the normal _cute_ that she usually went for. Her face was paler and her eyes were darker.

But she wasn't astral drop different, because the astral drop looked just like Will… felt just like Will… This Will was like another person different.

"Uh… Matt right?" asked Will, she was trying her best not to sound condescending, but did a poor job of it. Matt nodded, unable to say anything. "Why don't you go bother someone else?"

"It's…" Matt tried to keep his voice steady. "Look, can I just have a word with you?" Will shot an uncertain look at Matt, then at the silver haired girl. The girl let go of Will.

"Go," whispered Serenity. She pecked Will softly on the cheek and smiled as she saw Matt's shocked expression, seeming to enjoy his reaction more than the kiss.

Will and Matt took a few steps away from the group. Matt's umbrella shielded both of them from the rain. Even though there was no one else standing nearby, Matt felt like everyone was watching them, trying to listen in. Especially Hayden and that strange girl, the whole group was watching him with a piercing gaze.

"Look, I know what you're trying to do!" Matt said angrily. _She has to be the astral drop; that was the only explanation! _Matt thought to himself.

Will looked shocked for a moment but then laughed awkwardly. "What are you talking about?" asked Will, shaking her head at Matt, like he was stupid. "What is it you think I'm trying to do?"

"You're trying to ruin Will's life!" said Matt. At first Will looked surprised at this accusation but then her eyes narrowed. "The others know you're an astral drop and they'll stop you from…"

"Is that just more code for 'freak'?" interrupted Will angrily. It was Matt's turn to be surprised. Will pressed the advantage, stepping awkwardly close to Matt and stabbing him in the chest with a sharp finger. "Well… you know what, _Matt_, I don't need to hear it from you! It's my life and I can do whatever I want with it! Besides, who the hell do you think you are to tell me different?"

"Your boyf…" Matt tried, but Will slapped him before he could even finish the word. The umbrella fell from his hand and the rain crashed down on both of them.

"Just leave me alone," shouted Will angrily. She turned away storming off, back to her group and leaving Matt with a hand print on the side of his face.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Matt hardly noticed the giggling and whispers from the onlookers as he absently collected his umbrella. Nor did he see the harsh reflectionless eyes of Serenity following after him as he walked off in a daze headed for the drier halls of the school. He didn't stop to consider what rumors or gossip would come from this. His mind was shaken.

"_What the hell just happened?_" Matt thought as he held the side of his face where his girlfriend had slapped him. "_That girl certainly wasn't Will… but it wasn't her astral drop either._" Matt knew what the astral drop felt like, having been struck as well as kissed by it.

Matt gathered his thoughts as he closed his umbrella. He had finally reached the protection of the crowded school hallways. He had to find the other girls, the Guardians. They must know something about what was going on with Will. And how Hayden and his gang were mixed up in all of this. And who was that silver haired girl that seemed so affectionate towards Will?

After searching around for a short while Matt was finally able to locate Irma. She was sitting alone in a busy stairwell, scribbling frantically on something inside an open book. Matt moved quickly over to the walnut haired girl.

"Irma! Look, I'm glad I found you! We need to talk about Wi…" said Matt exasperatedly, but Irma cut him off without even looking up as she continued desperately to finish her incomplete homework.

"Can't talk, have to finish!" interrupted Irma as her bright aqua colored eyes danced back and forth between paper and book.

"But it's about…" Matt tried again. The point of Irma's pencil snapped and with an enraged glare her eyes locked on Matt, stopping him mid sentence. "I'll just go look for the others…" Matt said backing away holding up his hands apologetically.

Matt found Cornelia next. She wasn't alone but it wasn't Taranee who was with her either. It was a group of girls, the pop-girls, as most students called them.

They didn't seem like the type of people that Cornelia would usually hang out with, let alone talk to or joke with as she was doing now. Well, they did really, but she didn't ever hang out with them.

Matt was just about to approach her when he spotted, of all people, Hay Lin! How could she possibly be here? Yesterday she had been hospitalized with severe injuries, but today she looked perfectly fine! Maybe her guardian healing powers had been kicked into overdrive?

Matt quickly intercepted her. Maybe the young Asian girl would have some answers for him. There was no way she could be in as bad a mood as Irma! Hay Lin never got mad.

"Hay Lin!" Matt said stepping in front of her. Her hands took the straps of her backpack in shock and embarrassment as she smiled shyly and looked away.

"Oh… hi… Matt," Hay Lin said. Her face turned red.

"I'm so glad that you're okay!" said Matt not even noticing her strange reaction. Hay Lin looked up at him, a big smile on her face, showing off her braces. She held up her index finger, with a little pink Band-Aid wrapped around the tip.

"Thanks, but it was just a paper cut," Hay Lin giggled. Matt felt even more confused. What the hell was going on? Had everyone but him gone crazy? Yesterday she'd had bruises all over her body, but today all she had was a paper cut?

"Look," Matt said taking her by the shoulders. "You have to tell me what's going on with the others?" Hay Lin's face became even redder.

"The… the others?" She asked wide eyed.

"The other guardians?" said Matt, Hay Lin's expression still looked blank. "Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and…" The embarrassment on Hay Lin's face faded to be replaced with anger. "What?" asked Matt, instantly knowing that something was very wrong with Hay Lin too.

"How should I know what those jerks are up to! It's not like we're friends!" Hay Lin pushed free of Matt's hold and hurried off.

"Hey, Hay Hey, did another boy blow you off!" Cornelia called nastily after her. The other girls standing around Cornelia laughed. Hay Lin looked away and Matt was sure he could see her wiping away tears.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

It wasn't just Will that was acting strange. It wasn't just the girls who had broken up and forgotten each other. It was everyone! The whole town, maybe even the whole world was different! No one remembered the world that had been yesterday.

Matt had hardly heard anything his teachers had to say. His thoughts were lost on Will and the others. What had happened overnight? What had changed? Why had everyone forgotten Will?

Matt opened his umbrella as he stepped back out into the unrelenting rain. Taking out his cell phone Matt flipped it open and navigated through the confusing menus until he found what he was looking for. Saved in the image folder of his phone was a picture of him and Will hugging and smiling at the camera, held out clumsily at arms length for the shot.

And saved in his call log the list of calls and messages he had sent to Will. Even the calls from yesterday, one to Cornelia, who hadn't been home and the other to Irma who had said they would get right on the astral drop problem.

If everyone had forgotten about Will, why had he remembered? Was it because he loved her? Matt closed his phone and pushed it deep into his jacket pocket, it was the most precious thing he had at the moment. The picture of Will was the only reminder that she had ever existed the way he remembered her and that he wasn't crazy.

So lost in his thoughts was Matt, that he didn't even notice the person barreling down the street at him. The shout of warning was all he had.

"WATCH OUT!" Matt had just enough time to look up as a flail of arms, legs and roller blades slammed into him, knocking him over.

The two of them tumbled to the ground, Matt ending up on the bottom and the roller blader on top. "Oh, I'm so sorry," said the girl. Matt recognized the voice. "I couldn't stop! I really haven't gotten the hang of these crazy things yet!"

"Taranee?" asked Matt as he blinked the rain out of his eyes. "Why the heck are you skating around in the rain?"

"Huh? Oh, well I was just having a little reckless fun," said Taranee, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of her neck.

Rain continued to splash down on both of them. Taranee was wearing a rain slicker and seemed not to be affected by the downpour, but Matt had lost his umbrella in the crash and was once more becoming soaked.

"Hey, wait, don't I know you from some place?" asked Taranee. "Yeah, you're that musician from that band, Kobal-something…"

"Cobalt Blue," corrected Matt, feeling a little disappointed. So Taranee didn't really remember him either.

"Yeah… whatever," said Taranee absently.

"Any chance I could ask you to get off me?" asked Matt in a rough voice as he felt the cold water seeping through his clothing. Taranee blushed and pushed herself off Matt's chest.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" said Taranee, embarrassed.

"It's all right. Look, Taranee I need to tell you something, its going to sound crazy but its true!" said Matt as he got up off the wet ground and offered Taranee a hand. Taranee looked surprised but didn't protest as Matt helped her to her feet.

Matt retrieved his umbrella as he spoke. "Something strange has happened, I don't know how or who made it this way but everything is different! The whole world was different when I got up today!

"You, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Irma, and Will all used to be friends!" Taranee tried to interrupt but Matt pressed on, not giving her the chance. "But now you don't even remember who you used to be! It's almost like you hate each other! But you're the Guardians and you have magic powers." Again, Taranee tried to speak but Matt kept going, "and today you're all different! Like none of it happened! Like none of you were ever friends!"

"We aren't friends," Taranee finally broke in angrily. "And I don't know anyone named Will!" The girl turned away, getting ready to skate off.

"Wait!" Matt said grabbing her arm. "I have a picture that can prove you were all friends!" Matt reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, but it wasn't there.

"What?" snapped Taranee, obviously done with the conversation and with Matt.

"Hold on, I must have dropped it!" Matt said looking around franticly. The phone must have fallen out of his pocket when the two of them collided. How could he have been so careless! How could he have lost the only reminder he had left of Will?

"You're crazy," said Taranee softly, shaking her head. With a burst of speed she skated away. But Matt didn't even notice. He was down on his hands and knees searching the ground frantically for his lost cell phone.

At last Matt's hand brushed against metal as he searched the grass. He picked up his cell phone, there was water on it, he felt his heart stop. Quickly he dried it off with his shirt hoping that it was okay, that the water hadn't damaged it.

Matt pressed a button but the front screen did not light up. Feeling panicked Matt flipped the phone open and the bright colors of the menu screen came to life. Matt let out a sigh. The phone hadn't been in the water long enough to cause any permanent damage.

Navigating the menus once more he returned to his picture folder so that he could see the face of the Will he remembered. But as he thumbed down through the images he couldn't find the picture of Will. In fact, he couldn't find any pictures of her at all! It was like the rain water had washed away all traces of her.

* * *

End of Part 3: To Be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**A huge thanks to my Beta Readers: ****Waterclaws****, and ****MakesBadJokes**

**Thank you to everyone who left a review for last chapter: **lost prince, XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, KnightofFaerun/Darev, DayDreamer9 and Dai Makai

**And thanks to everyone who is reading along!**

**Originally Taranee and Matt used to make out here. But that was too much fan service… haha no, I'm just messing with you. Damn I'm evil… and heartless… and crazy… but that's another story…**

**Normally I have at least a few notes, or insights to impart in my AN's but today I'm just drawing a blank… The only thing I have is a comment from my BETA MakesBadJokes: "The moral is… pay your cell phone bill."**

**Next chapter next Sunday. **

**Starwin out.**


	16. E4 P4: Without Heart or Soul

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 4: Downfall

* * *

Part 4: Without Heart or Soul

* * *

Skipping out on band practice Matt Olsen walked home alone, pondering his thoughts about the strange things that had been going on in his life. He hadn't even notice that someone had been following him for several blocks, until now.

Hurrying around a corner he pressed himself up against the brick wall and listened as the footsteps quickened to catch up. Just as his pursuer emerged Matt lunged forward and grabbed her.

The girl let out a cry of surprise and Matt let her go finding himself just as shocked.

"Will?" asked Matt, confused. "Why are…"

"I can't remember," interrupted Will, "it's all there, like broken glass but I don't see the painting!"

"What?" said Matt. Will was making no sense. Tears were running down her face.

"The cat's keeper keeps the cat," Will stammered. She pressed herself against Matt. "I love you… so that's where it's hidden, that's where I'm hidden." she whispered in the softest of voices and than moved to kiss him…

Matt's eyes snapped open. He was not greeted by Will's lips but by the uneasy darkness of his room and the pounding of the relentless rain against his window. The red flashing numbers of his alarm clock said it was Friday, 2:00AM.

The dream, it had seemed so real, felt so real… even his heart was beating faster at the moment. Matt tried to close his eyes, to force himself back into the dream because reality was far more confusing.

His eyes closed, Matt put his hand to his mouth. He could swear he still tasted Will on his lips.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

After two straight days of searching, Matt was no closer to any answers. Every picture, every person, every trace or reference of the girl that used to be was gone. Even the pictures from Matt's own room had changed to be replaced with other people. It was as if the girls had always disliked each other, had never been friends.

The strange thing was that no one could give him an answer as to why. Some people said they thought it was a big fight or an insult. Everyone thought something different. All of the girls were avoiding him. They wouldn't even look at him, let alone stop and talk.

Matt had been able to covertly observe Will and the people she was hanging out with. It disheartened him to see that she acted just like her old self around them.

They had to be the key, Hayden and his friends, as well as that girl, Serenity. She gave Matt a strange feeling whenever she looked at him. But what could Matt do? He didn't have any magical powers. And surely whoever had done this must have incredible magical abilities.

Matt had been thinking about that for a while, too. The Guardians had lost their memories or had them changed or whatever, but had they lost their powers as well? Taranee hadn't turned him to ash when she had gotten mad at him, nor had Irma blasted him with water. But they had never done that anyhow, even when they had been themselves.

If only Matt knew what to do, how to help them! But he was little more than Will's tag along boyfriend. And even though he had tried to help them in the past he still had to admit that no matter how much he wanted it, he simply could never be part of their magical lives.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

It was another agonizing day of watching Will and Serenity. Matt was seated at the back of the classroom, as if deliberately given the perfect view to be tortured by the sight before him.

He was thankful when the bell finally rang but he didn't race to the door like everyone else. He took his time packing his things, really watching and trying to listen to the whispers between Serenity and Will. Both were giggling as they left.

Matt pretended to go the other way from them as they exited the classroom, but he was only going to circle around and follow them discreetly. However an angry voice pulled his focus back to the girls.

"Watch it you stupid bitch!" shouted Uriah. Matt looked back, Serenity and Will had collided with Uriah, the school bully.

"What did you call me?" Will retorted angrily. Uriah leaned closer, his pimply face tight with anger.

"I called you a stupid bit…" but before Uriah could finish Will punched him as hard as she could. Uriah let out a howl of anger and rage as he covered his nose.

"What's going on here!" yelled Principle Knickerbocker. She waded through the sea of students. "Ms. Vandom what have you done!" cried the Principle as she saw the blood spilling through Uriah's fingers.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," answered Serenity. She lifted a hand a held it out at Uriah. With a flash and an inhuman scream, Uriah burned away, leaving nothing behind. Everyone stood speechless, unable to even comprehend what they had just seen.

"You… you…" stammered Principle Knickerbocker.

"Yes, I killed him," replied Serenity calmly. "But don't worry, you won't miss him, you won't know he even existed."

A cold voice floated through the air. One word repeated over and over again in whisper. Matt clamped his hands over his ears but he could still hear it. "Forget, forget, forget…" the voice whispered.

Principle Knickerbocker's eyes glazed over and she had vacant look on her face, as did the other students. They had all become like sleep walkers.

Then, as if a director had suddenly cried "Action!" everyone came back to life and continue as if nothing had happened. Except for Matt, who stood terrified looking on in horror. Serenity had killed Uriah, wiping him away as if he had never been…

Serenity suddenly turned to look directly at Matt. She realized he was the only person staring at them — that he had not forgotten.

Feeling panic rise in his chest, Matt ran. He exploded out of the school doors and sprinted across the schoolyard. His breath was coming hard and fast as he came to a halt outside the front gate.

Serenity had killed Uriah, right in front everybody, without a second thought! And the way that girl had looked at him, like he would be next.

"Where are you going, Matt?" ask a cold voice from behind him. Matt jumped and spun around getting tangled in his book bag. Serenity was here, like she had magically teleported behind Matt. In fact Matt was pretty sure that was exactly what she had done.

"Band practice, I'm running late," lied Matt, trying not to let fear creep into his voice. Serenity took a step toward Matt, her eye narrowing — it was like she made the world disappear with her stare. The rain that poured down from the sky parted above her head.

"I think you are running from something," said Serenity. "I think you are running from me." Unable to stop himself Matt turned and tried to bolt but faster than was humanly possible Serenity moved in front of him, blocking his path. Her hand shot out and she held Matt still without even touching him. Matt felt a pressure in his chest as though a large weight was crushing his ribs.

"How very interesting," said Serenity quietly as she examined Matt. "You seem to be completely unaffected by the rain."

"I don't… know what… what you're talking about," grunted Matt, Serenity's magic was making it hard to talk.

"I think you do, Matt Olsen," replied Serenity taking a step closer, the painful pressure increased. "I think you remember everything."

Matt leaned forward against Serenity's hold, his teeth gritted. "I do," Matt snarled. "I saw, I remember, what you did to Uriah!" Serenity raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" Serenity asked.

"The boy you murdered!" Matt shouted back.

"Oh, him, he was nothing," said Serenity, casually waving it off. "A simple mortal already doomed to die anyhow."

"How can you be so cold?" Matt screamed. He didn't much care for Uriah, but he would never have wished him dead!

"Because I am immortal," stated Serenity simply. "Unlike you, I have no heart to let me live, and no soul to make me remember. Your entire life is but an eye blink in my existence. What should I care if a mortal dies today or a hundred years from now?

"But my interest is not with that boy," Serenity said as she took another step closer to Matt. "I am interested how a mortal, like yourself, has managed to remember so much." Serenity ran a hand across Matt's Heart as though she were trying to sense something.

"Because Will and I share a bond of love that you can never break!" shouted Matt, trying to pull away.

Serenity blinked standing motionless for a moment. She was surprised by Matt's words. Then a smile spread across her face and she began to laugh. "A bond of love? You don't even know who Will really is!" said Serenity with a laugh. Matt suddenly felt her magical hold on him release and he fell to the ground.

"Will does not love you," spat Serenity. "She didn't even give you a heart string." Serenity looked down on Matt with distain.

"A what?" asked Matt, confused as he sat on the rain soaked sidewalk. Serenity smiled but did not elaborate. Unable to hold back any longer Matt asked the question that had been burning inside him all week. "What did you do to everyone? Why doesn't anybody remember Will?"

"It is the rain," explained Serenity. She held her hands out and looked up at the dark sky high above; however, no rain drops touched her skin. "It has washed away all traces of the Will Vandom you remember."

"Make it stop!" Matt demanded. "You don't have any right to do this!"

Serenity returned her gaze to Matt. "I did not summon the rain," said Serenity. "It is Will's sorrow that falls from the sky, not my own. It is her longing to forget her old life, this world and its people, that makes her memory dim in everyone's minds."

"But not mine," Matt whispered. "I still remember her because she remembers me!"

Serenity laughed again. "No, stupid boy," Serenity replied. "You are untouched because you weren't important enough to even forget, let alone be remembered at all! You have no destiny with her, no future, you never did! She is beyond your simple mortal desires and thoughts. You were the first person she forgot…"

Matt suddenly lunged up from the ground, letting lose a roar of anger and rage. His hands were outstretched intent on strangling Serenity, but he never got close. Serenity stopped him with her magic once more.

This time though, instead of just a pressure in his chest, Matt was lifted slightly into the air, his arms and legs pulled outward from his body. It felt like his limbs were ready to tear out of their sockets.

"That is something I will not permit a second time," Serenity whispered as she reflexively rubbed her throat. "I have seen Will's thoughts and she does not love you. You were simply a stand in until I arrived.

"But even still, there is something about you I don't like," said Serenity. Matt felt his blood draining from his face as he remembered what had happened to Uriah. He could see the same look in Serenity's eyes. "And I can't risk your interference…"

"What are you…" gasped Matt. His voice sounded fearful, even to himself.

"I am the child of the most powerful beings to ever exist. I am the empress of a long forgotten kingdom. I am an immortal granted a soul and I am Serenity, bringer of the End!"

Serenity's impossible black eyes focused on Matt. The whole world seemed to vanish around them as incredible pain burned inside Matt's body. It felt like his skin was starting to peal away. Matt let loose a scream of pure agony. She was going to kill him, to unmake him.

"STOP!" shouted a voice from behind Serenity. Before she could turn around the ground shifted and Serenity stumbled, but did not fall. The magical force that had been keeping Matt aloft, vanished. He plummeted to the ground, gasping, his skin felt like it was on fire.

Serenity regained her footing and looked behind her, her face contorted with anger. Cornelia stood in the pouring rain under a black umbrella, her hand out stretched.

"I think you better leave," said another voice. Serenity's head snapped forward. Irma was standing across from Cornelia so that Serenity and Matt were between them. There was a lopsided grin on Irma's face.

More footsteps announced the arrival of two more people: Hay Lin and Taranee. They were standing out in the street so that Serenity was trapped by the school fence on one side and a half circle of Guardians on the other.

"Another time then," whispered Serenity. She took a step back, her body flickered and she vanished. Hay Lin and Taranee both let out cries of surprise. The girls all rushed to Matt.

"Oh! Matt are you okay?" Hay Lin asked as she knelt down next to Matt.

"You all remembered?" asked Matt, in a shaky voice. His whole body hurt, but there was no blood or anything missing, as far as he could tell.

Cornelia, Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin all glanced at each other uneasily and then looked down at Matt.

"Look, we aren't saying we believe you," said Taranee. "But you're right; something strange has been going on."

"How did you find out about our powers?" asked Cornelia. Matt rubbed his throat.

"Will told me, a couple of…" Matt started.

"Ha, I should have known that hussy would go around telling everyone," Irma broke in.

"Look whatever you think happened between all of you, it didn't!" Matt said getting to his feet. "It's that girl, Serenity, she cast some kind of spell over you to make you forget your friendship! It's this rain; it washed away your memories!" The girls looked uncertainly at each other again.

"You said you had a picture of all of us that could prove we were friends," said Taranee, breaking the uneasy quiet. Matt sadly looked away.

"It's… it's gone," said Matt trying to hide the pain in his voice at losing such a precious thing. "The rain took it away…"

"It was probably a fake anyhow," said Irma.

"Why would I fake something like that?" Matt asked.

Irma shrugged.

"So… what? We're just supposed to believe you that we were some kind of team?" Cornelia asked sardonically.

"Guardians," replied Matt and then taking a deep breath he added, "of Kandrakar." All of the girls looked surprised to hear that word. "And yes you were a team; why else would the four of you show up to save me?"

The girls looked blankly at each other seeming to only just realize now that they had indeed all arrived, one after another, to help Matt for some unknown reason.

"I don't know why but that place sounds so familiar," said Hay Lin dreamily.

"I can help you find it again, but you have to trust me," Matt held his hand out to the group of girls. "You have to trust each other!"

Cautiously Hay Lin put her hand out on top of Matt's. Than Taranee and Irma did the same. They all looked at Cornelia who still stood uneasily under her umbrella with her arm across her chest. She was looking at all of them as though she thought they were crazy.

"Come on Corny!" teased Irma, Cornelia did not look amused about the nickname. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

End Episode 4!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**And there you have it the end of the story. What? You want more? Uh… yeah okay I guess I could do more… how about… everyone gets wasted and they throw an awesome party? Details? What the heck! Do you think I'm some kind of writer or something?... oh yeah… good point.**

**Thank you BETA readers: Waterclaws and MakesBadJokes**

**Thank you reviewers: **XV-Dragon, Sokai, Taeniaea, Dai Makai, DayDreamer9, lost prince **and **Darev

**Seriously, THANK YOU everyone who has reviewed! Thank you everyone who is still reading! Thank you everyone who is… uh… thank you everyone, there we go, no one should notice that little slip, wait… am I thinking this or typing it? Damn… Well, have to keep going backspace is broken….**

**ANYHOW, you know it, you love it, the week long break between this Episode and the next where I sip Piña Coladas and get lost in the rain. OR more likely I work myself to the bone trying to prefect the story. Sigh.**

**Next up "Episode 5: Beyond the Bounds of Earth" (that's a heck of a name) coming soon exclusively to this website June 22!  
**

**Don't forget to leave a review if you liked this chapter (and/or story) and visit the forums to help keep yourself occupied while I work on the next exciting installment! The Forums also have some little extra tid-bits about the story that aren't in my AN's so feel free to go there and check out the info, you don't have to post, though that would be grate too :D  
**

**Starwin out.**


	17. E5 P1: We are Itch

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 5: Beyond the Bounds of Earth

* * *

Part 1: We are Itch

* * *

There was no time, no warning. Cornelia could do nothing but watch as the ball of mucky water hit her with a loud splat. The muck ball left a nasty stain of water, mud and some other indefinable substances on her brand new green dress.

"Ha!" laughed Irma nastily. "It looks like I have fully mastered my powers over the element of muck!"

"Water," whispered Hay Lin, completely missing the sarcasm in Irma's voice and the infuriation on Cornelia's red face.

"More like the power of suck!" Cornelia shouted back at Irma.

Irma turned back to Cornelia with a casual, deadly, smile on her face. Raising a finger and using her powers over water, Irma lifted another ball of muck from the ground. It spun in the air in front of her like a little planet.

With a flick Irma sent the muck ball flying in the direction of Cornelia. But the projectile never reached its destination. It stopped a few feet away hovering. Cornelia had her hand outstretched towards the flying muck ball.

"It might have slipped you small, little, mind, but I'm the one with the power over earth!" Cornelia said and with a wave of her hand she launched the muck ball back at Irma.

"Oh Fu…" cried Irma, as she ducked out of the way. The ball of muck sped overhead and hit Taranee in the stomach. She had been standing a few feet away, her arms crossed in disdain for the childish antics of the other girls.

"You want a fire fight?" snarled Taranee, anger filling her voice. Flames bursting into existence around her hands and the ball of muck burned off her clothing. "I'll give you a stain that won't come out!"

"STOP!" shouted Matt moving between the girls. They were all poised to attack each other. This had been a terrible idea. Matt had thought that, maybe, if they could remember their powers they would remember their teamwork too. But things had gone badly right from the start and were only getting worse by the minute.

"You're all supposed to be friends!" said Matt, looking desperately between the girls.

"So you keep saying," said Cornelia turning her head away and sticking her nose up in the air. "But I would never associate with anyone so badly dressed." Disdainfully, Cornelia's eyes came to rest on Irma. Irma was wearing blue overalls and a plain white shirt with a gray sweatshirt tied around her waist.

"You have to…" pleaded Matt, but Irma cut him off.

"Was that targeted at me Miss-high-and-mighty-center-of-the-fashion-scene?" Irma shouted back. Cornelia let lose a small smile that said more than any words. "Oh, that's it!"

Irma pushed up her short sleeves and held her hands out towards Cornelia. The rain soaked earth begun to shake and huge mound of mud bulged upwards. Cornelia mirrored Irma, her hands outstretched as she used her power to push the giant mud ball back towards Irma.

"Wait! If you'd just listen…" Matt tried again. But he never got to finish his thought. The giant mound of earth and water exploded covering him and the other girls in a thick layer of muck. "All right, five minute break then?"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The girls had moved as far away from each other as possible and were each trying to clean the mud off. So far the only things that had gone right was that the rain had subsided a little and that the girls had all agreed to meet in the park today.

It was still early Saturday morning and they would hopefully have all day to sort out their problems. However, Matt was unsure that a whole week, let alone a whole day, would bring the girls back together. This plan wasn't working at all.

Irma and Cornelia were about ready to kill each other. Hay Lin, though she was willing to give it a chance, was simply too afraid to speak up. And Taranee, well Matt was fairly sure that if anyone crossed her she just might set them on fire.

Matt let out a sigh. "_Will, what would you do in a situation like this?"_ Matt asked himself. He tried to remember everything she had told him about her adventures. There was so much to remember. People and faces he didn't even know but who seemed very important to Will.

_People like… "_Like… The Oracle!" said Matt out loud, smacking himself in the forehead and planting a palm-full of mud on his face. He'd suddenly remembered the man; it was like a little voice inside his head had told him.

"The who?" asked Hay Lin. Matt sputtered, spitting the mud out of his mouth. The girls had cautiously gathered back around him at hearing this name.

"The Oracle of Kandrakar!" Matt said again. "He's supposed to be this super powerful guy, maybe he can help you remember who you are!"

"He can't," said Cornelia. Something about her tone had an odd finality to it and there was sadness in her eyes. "I can't remember why… I just know… I just know the Oracle can't help us."

"Okay, okay," said Matt getting to his feet and pacing back and forth. "Is there anyone else? Anyone powerful like the Oracle that could help bring your memories back?" The girls shrugged.

_Elyon_, the same voice whispered in Matt's head as he recalled the face of the blond haired queen. "Wait! What about Elyon?" asked Matt. Cornelia's look of sadness turned to one of shock. "Isn't she the Queen of some place? Doesn't she have magic powers, too?"

"She's the Queen of Meridian," answered Irma, automatically. She looked a little startled by the words coming out of her own mouth.

"And there's a portal to her home world of Metamoor in the basement of her old house," Taranee chimed in.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Lets go!" Hay Lin added excitedly jumping into the air and punching it with her fist. Before Matt even had a chance to say anything the girls were running off side by side. Matt couldn't help but grin as he followed after them. Maybe hope was not lost after all.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Irma was knelt down on one knee, a hairpin in hand. She skillfully manipulated the small metal wire in the keyhole of the front door. The girls, and Matt, were on the front stoop of Elyon Brown's former house, where she had lived on earth.

The home had been abandoned when Elyon had returned to Metamoor and for some reason no one had purchased it. The front yard had grown tall with weeds and a few of the windows had been broken by vandals.

"You've very good at this," Cornelia complimented Irma snidely. "You must've had lots of practice breaking into peoples' houses." There was a click and the door opened just a crack.

"I'm the daughter of a police officer, I learned more than a few tricks growing up," Irma said standing and returning her hairpin to its previous place in her wavy brown hair. "Besides, some of us actually have brains between our ears, not just air."

"Hey!" Cornelia and Hay Lin said at the same time.

"Oh wait was that aimed at me or Cornelia?" asked Hay Lin in earnest confusion.

"It doesn't matter!" whispered Taranee harshly. "Just get inside before someone sees us!" No one argued against Taranee's command, she seemed to have taken leadership of the group and no one was willing to wrestle it away from her. The five of them moved inside.

The house was dark; all of the window shades had been drawn tight and none of the lights worked. Hay Lin tried to turn on a lamp with no success.

"We wouldn't want it on anyway!" hissed Cornelia irritably. "No one lives here, remember?"

"Oh, right, good point," replied Hay Lin embarrassed.

"I think the basement is this way," whispered Taranee as she took the lead. Using her powers Taranee created a small ball of fire that floated in front of her, lighting the way.

The group shuffled silently through the house. Taranee moved the fastest, as if she were eager to get this over with. While Cornelia lingered near the back, looking sadly around the abandoned home, her thoughts not quite able to remember her friend who had once lived here.

It wasn't long before they found the basement. Taranee let her orb of fire float closer to the high ceiling so that it illuminated the space. Comprised of one large, circular, room; the basement had nothing stored in it. And, except for the staircase, all that lay before the girls was bare stone walls.

"Oh yeah, just how I wanted to spend my Saturday," sighed Irma.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The girls split up, each taking a different section of the wall to explore. Matt watched from the bottom of the stairs. He had offered to help but Taranee, her bad mood still apparent, had told him he would only get in the way.

Matt was starting to nod off when Cornelia broke the silence.

"This is stupid," said Cornelia irritably. "We don't even know what it is we're looking for!"

"We're looking for a portal," said Hay Lin helpfully. Cornelia shot daggers at her and the smile on Hay Lin's face vanished.

"I'm looking for you to shut up," mumbled Irma, just loud enough for everyone hear.

"You know what, I'm tired of your mouth," retorted Cornelia, "You can go to hell for all I care, bitch." Irma turned and faced Cornelia, pulling down her eyelid with her middle finger and sticking out her tongue at the blond.

"That's it!" Cornelia shouted with rage. The ground begun to shake and Cornelia's eyes glowed white with power.

"No powers! No powers!" shouted Matt, as he grabbed hold of the staircase railing to keep from losing his balance. Dust trickled down from the ceiling. If they kept this up the whole place would collapse down on them.

Cornelia's hand shot out and a rip opened up in the stone floor as an invisible shockwave raced across the room at Irma. Irma wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack this time and she was flung off her feet and slammed into the wall. The stonework cracked with the impact of her body.

"Seriously stop it!" shouted Matt. "Taranee, do something!" Completely unbecoming the guardian of fire, Taranee fixed Matt with an icy glare. She did not stop the two former friends.

Maybe Matt had underestimated just how deep the false hatred ran. Or maybe it wasn't all false. Some of their behavior, Irma and Cornelia especially, seemed reminiscent of how they used to act. Although, Matt couldn't ever recall them physically attacking one another.

Irma struggled to her feet; there was blood at the side of her mouth. "Is that the best you've got blondie?" asked Irma with a smile. Cornelia looked surprised that Irma had recovered so quickly.

Irma's hands shot out. A metal pipe wriggled free from the fissure Cornelia had created in the floor. The pipe twisted sharply and broke. Water erupted out of the cracked main, crashing into Cornelia with enough force to pin her against the wall.

Cornelia held up a hand trying to fight back the powerful stream of water but Irma didn't even need to use her power here, the pressure from the pipe had enough force to hold Cornelia all on its own.

Irma smiled darkly at her handiwork. Cornelia had finally gotten what had been coming to her for a long time.

"Uh, this can't be good," Hay Lin said looking down. The water from the burst pipe had quickly begun to rise. It had already reached their knees and in a few more seconds it would be at their waists.

"Irma, turn it off!" Taranee ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do," Irma said acidly. But even she seemed to be a little alarmed by the rate the water was rising.

"TURN IT OFF, DAMN IT!" Cornelia shouted.

"Fine," sighed Irma reluctantly. She waved her hand but the water did not halt. Irma tried again but the pressure in the pipe was too much. "I… I can't!" Irma's face strained as she tried to using all her strength to hold the water back, but it was no good.

"Get out of there before you all drown!" Matt shouted as he retreated up the stairs, standing just a step above the rising water.

The water was almost to the middle of the girl's chests now and it was freezing cold. Irma and Taranee started to wade towards the stairs.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" screamed Cornelia in terror. The jet of water still spraying her with incredible force.

"Come on we can't leave her!" Hay Lin cried. Irma and Taranee looked between each other and for a moment Hay Lin was sure that Irma would say 'sure we can!' but Irma did not and both Taranee and Irma changed direction, swimming now because the water had become too deep to stand in.

"Hurry!" Matt called. The water had filled the basement almost halfway up. Suddenly without warning the ball of flame Taranee had created extinguished as the water reached it.

Panic stricken all of the girls began to shout and yell at the same time. Between the splashing and the echoes in the enclosed space, it was impossible to understand each other.

And in this darkness it would be impossible to find Cornelia.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Another ball of flame burst into existence, Taranee held it aloft in the small space of now only a few feet.

"Everyone calm down!" Taranee commanded. The shouts from the other girls stopped. They had reached the spot where Cornelia should have been but she wasn't there anymore! The girls looked around panicked.

Instinctively, Irma looked down she could see a shape in the water below. Without hesitation or a second thought, she took a deep breath and dove underwater.

Cornelia was still pinned against the wall her eyes closed, no bubbles escaped from her lips. Irma could still make out the distortions of the water jet coming from the ruptured pipe. Even completely submerged it was still powerful enough to keep Cornelia from escaping.

Swimming down next to Cornelia, Irma took hold of her arm and pulled, but it was like Cornelia was glued to the wall and she just wouldn't budge. Irma tried to use her power over water to help move the blond haired girl but it was no good, she just couldn't free Cornelia from her watery prison.

What had Irma done? No matter how much she hated the fashion queen, she had never wanted this. Irma pulled more and more frantically, if she hadn't been underwater there would have been tears in her eyes. 'Move, move, move, move!' Irma thought.

Another pair of hands took hold of Cornelia's wrist, it was Hay Lin, she had come down to help as well. And still another pair of hands, it was Taranee. The three girls pulled as hard as they could, kicking their legs and pushing against the wall.

It was enough. Cornelia was pulled free from her bondage; she floated limply in the water. Irma looked up towards the surface just in time to see Taranee's light go out for the second time. Still looking upwards, and holding Cornelia around the waist, Irma kicked frantically toward the surface, toward a breath of air. But her hand touched the stone ceiling, and she was still underwater! There was no breathing room left.

Irma's breath burned in her lungs, she had stayed down too long, she needed air! She looked around underwater, trying to spot the stairs but it was too dark. Either way it hardly mattered. Her legs were burned out and there was no way she could swim any further. Why had she skipped swim class so many times?

Blackness begun to creep at the edge of Irma's eyes.

'Ha! The water guardian dies by drowning,' Irma thought to herself, 'irony or poetic justice?'

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Frantically Hay Lin tried to make an air bubble but it was just no use. Her hands were shaking too much. She was so afraid. They were all going to drown. They were going to die!

Hay Lin looked at Irma, a final burst of air bubbles escaped her mouth and she floated limply in the water, still holding onto Cornelia.

Hay Lin wanted to cry out, she almost did, but she was underwater and such an act would only bring death more quickly.

Suddenly a blinding blue light erupted from the floor illuminating the all of the water. It was so intense that Hay Lin had to shield her eyes. The light begun to swirl around faster and faster.

And then the water began to tug at Hay Lin. The water was moving; it was becoming a whirlpool! Hay Lin grabbed Irma's sweatshirt that was tied around her waist. Then she turned back and extended a hand to Taranee.

Taranee did not hesitate; she took Hay Lin's hand.

The water increased in speed and pull. It was sucking them down into the blue light coming from the floor. Hay Lin held on as tight as she could, her body burning to take a breath.

The water moved faster and faster and faster; around and around and around.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee held tight to Hay Lin's hand as the water raced around the room. Hay Lin's face was pained as she worked to keep from taking a breath. The air guardian gagged and sputtered in the water, but she did not let go.

With one final burst of speed all of the guardians were pulled downward, along with the water, into the whirling light below.

* * *

End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Big thanks to my BETA readers: Waterclaws and MakesBadJokes**

**And another big thanks to the reader who took the time to leave me reviews: **Taeniaea, XV-Dragon, Dai Makai, lost prince, Darev and DayDreamer9

**And of course, thank you to all my readers!**

**Woah. That was a heck of a thing. A little history on this chapter (because I find stuff like this fascinating). I was really far along in this story (working on the ending in fact) and I was reading back through, polishing facts, improving spelling, grammar and language and such but when I got to this chapter I found that half of it was missing!! **

**OMFG I thought I saved over this chapter with an older copy! Seriously I almost, almost thought about crying like a little school girl. **

**But with a heavy sigh I said screw it, I've done it once before I can do it again. So I started rewriting the lost part of the chapter, that's everything that goes on in the basement segment.**

**Originally, this scene was far less dramatic, although the girls were pulled through the portal in the first version in a rough and tumble sort of way it was nothing like it is now. I have to say I like the second attempt better. While it still achieves the ultimate goal, they way in which it gets there is much more awesome.**

**I just thought I'd share.**

**Starwin out.**


	18. E5 P2: Into the Unknown

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 5: Beyond the Bounds of Earth

* * *

Part 2: Into the Unknown

* * *

The wind blew gently across the hot sand, carrying tiny grains up in small whirling vortices before dropping them back down. There was nothing here in this hellish place, save for the endless dunes. And even the light blue sky was without clouds, as though the sun had burned them away.

So no one heard the crack of thunder, nor did anyone see the great torrent of water that crashed down from the cloudless sky.

When the water stopped falling, four young girls lay in the mud. Taranee's body jerked and she rolled over, coughing the water out of her lungs. A few feet away Hay Lin was doing the same. But Irma, who lay atop a pale faced Cornelia, was motionless.

Gathering all her strength Taranee began to crawl towards the lifeless girls. She felt exhausted and ill but she had to do something, she had to help them!

Hay Lin arrived just before Taranee—the young Asian girl looked as bad as Taranee felt. There were no words between them; they knew what they had to do, and they could spare no breath for speech.

Taking Irma by the shoulder, Hay Lin rolled her off Cornelia. Hay Lin took a deep breath, pinched Irma's nose and blew into her lips. Hay Lin began pumping Irma's chest in a steady rhythmic pattern, counting each compression in her head. Taranee was doing the same with Cornelia.

Suddenly, Cornelia started to cough and gag. She rolled to her side, spitting up water and taking ragged breaths. But Hay Lin felt little relief as she opened Irma's mouth for the third time. Irma was still cold and lifeless.

Tears were welling at the edge of Hay Lin's eyes. She didn't know why she was so upset. She thought her friendship with Irma was long over… And yet… And yet, Hay Lin could still feel something deep down inside that she couldn't put into words, either because she didn't know how or because she was afraid.

Both Taranee and Cornelia crawled closer, their faces tense with worry, as Hay Lin started her sixth cycle.

"WAKE UP DAMN IT!" Hay Lin shouted at Irma. Tears were now streaming down her face.

"Enough, Hay Lin…" said Cornelia, her voice choked. Hay Lin ignored her, blowing into Irma's mouth again and again. But as Hay Lin came back up to continue CPR, Cornelia covered Hay Lin's hands with her own. "You can't bring her… Eh!"

A strange light pulsed around Cornelia's hand as she touched Irma.

"NO!" shouted Hay Lin, not even noticing the magical glow. "I won't give up! It's not fair! Irma is like my sister!"

Irma suddenly took a breath and her whole body went rigid. She coughed violently, water spewed from her mouth.

"IRMA!" Hay Lin shouted. She wrapped her arms around Irma in an awkward hug as the brown haired girl continued to cough violently.

Taranee leaned over to Cornelia and whispered, "How did you do that?"

Cornelia was holding her hand out in front of her looking at it as though she had never seen it before. "I have no idea…"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Irony always seems to arrive when it is most unwanted. A few hours ago the Guardians had nearly been drowned and now they were wandering across a blistering hot desert, without any water at all. Irma could only imagine what they would find at the edge of the desert, perhaps a field of snow they could freeze to death in?

The sun sat high in the desolate sky but it was the shimmering hot sand that burned their skin. Not even the heartiest of desert plants grew here, so there was no shade… just… sand… Sand as far as the eye could see in all directions, sand without end.

"I have to stop!" cried Hay Lin in an exasperated voice. No one gave argument, although Taranee's face expressed that she did not want to stop here. But they were all too tired to fight; having walked for hours without rest under the blistering sun; trudging endlessly onwards towards who-knew-where and leaving only shallow footprints in their wake.

But, the moment they stopped, the heat doubled in intensity. This was not a place to rest… it was a place to die.

A small cluster of nearby rocks appeared to be the only thing that wasn't some form of burning hot sand. There was no shade and no water here. The rocks were too small to give shade and Irma had been unable to pull water from the air with her powers.

Hay Lin tried sitting on the small group of rocks but instead she jumped up with a yelp of pain. "Ouch! They're really hot!"

Irma let out a sigh. Too tired to quip with Hay Lin. However, there was something more than fatigue that kept Irma's tongue still. The words Hay Lin had shouted... 'like my sister…'

Irma had been so sure that her friendship with Hay Lin was over. That Hay Lin never wanted to be anything like a sister to Irma… ever again… But, the funny thing was, Irma couldn't remember why she thought that.

"Come on," said Taranee. "This isn't a good place to stop. We need to…"

"What we need to do is stop taking order from you!" retorted Cornelia visibly distraught. "You picked this direction and things have only gotten worse! There's no end in sight and…"

"And your dress is ruined, yeah, yeah, we know," broke in Irma, finding renewed energy at having an adversary to argue with. She and Cornelia had only ever been tentative friends, even in the best of times… but for some reason… that didn't seem right either. All the thoughts and memories inside Irma's head were all mixed up.

"No!" said Cornelia, annoyed that she had been interrupted. "The sun is going to cook us alive if we don't find some shade soon!"

"Well—Maybe, you could just use your power over earth and make us some shade!" Irma shot back sarcastically. '_That should shut her up,_' thought Irma.

However, Cornelia looked a little surprised by the suggestion, as though she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it.

"I guess… I guess I could try," replied Cornelia.

Irma was a little surprised that Cornelia had taken her suggestion to heart. What was it that had happened between them to make them dislike each other so much? Irma couldn't clearly remember. Maybe it has been an insult that was carried too far… or… why couldn't she remember?

The unstable ground started to shake and Irma was pulled away from her jumbled thoughts as a dune of sand began to rise. The other girls staggered away. The mound became bigger and bigger.

"I think that's big enough," Taranee shouted over the rumble of the moving earth.

"It's not me!" Cornelia shouted back. "It's… it's moving on its own like it's… alive!" as she said the last words a huge stone hand erupted out from the rising dune. Cornelia toppled away just as the hand crashed into the spot she had been.

The mound of earth let loose a roar that shook the sky. Something was alive under the sand, and they had woken it up! The dune of sand exploded as three more arms erupted out, flinging burning sand in all directions and unveiling the monster that had been hidden beneath. Huge and hideous, it was made of stone. Its massive body towered over the girls and its misshapen head had a single eye. Many jagged teeth lined its enormous mouth.

"I think its time we run away," Irma said, taking a few steps backwards. With a scream, all of the girls turned and ran as fast as they could. The stone monster roared angrily from behind them and with great crashing footsteps, that shook the ground, it pursued them.

"Make it go away, make it go away!" cried Hay Lin in terror.

"And how the hell do you want me to do that!" Cornelia shouted back.

Irma knew they wouldn't be able to keep this pace for long—especially not her. Running was one of her most dreaded pastimes. If only they could fly! But that was a silly thought… wasn't it?

Irma's eyes fell on Hay Lin and some of the fuzziness that had been buzzing in her brain went away. Hay Lin could fly, Irma knew it. For some reason she knew that Hay Lin had the power within her.

"Hay Lin!" Irma shouted. Hay Lin glanced over her shoulder at Irma. "You have to make us fly!"

"What?" cried Hay Lin. "I can't do that!"

"Why not?" yelled Irma. "Just wave your arms and make us fly!"

Hay Lin closed her eyes and flapped her arms like a bird as she ran. Her was face screwed up with concentration. '_Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts!_' she chanted to herself. And to her surprise, Hay Lin felt her feet leaving the ground. She chanced opening one eye and found that the desert sands were quickly falling away below her. She looked around and found the other girls soaring along beside her.

"You did it Hay Lin!" Taranee shouted excitedly.

The roars of the angry stone monster chased after them as the guardians raced higher into the sky, far out of its reach.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Uh, Hay Lin," asked Cornelia. They had been flying for a long time. Below them was a blanket of white clouds that hid the ground from view. Above them was the brilliant blue sky with the waning sun. "Any chance we could go down now?"

Cornelia looked a little green around the face. Earth was her element and flying was anything but fun for her. But Irma, and even Taranee, who didn't ever seem to have any fun, were enjoying themselves.

Irma was about to launch one of her trademark insults at Cornelia. But, as she had with Hay Lin, Irma kept her jeers to herself. There were so many strange thoughts going through her head. Memories that seemed to be hers and yet… it was like they were someone else's. Also, Cornelia really looked to be in distress. And on top of all that, Irma still felt horrible about what had happened back in the basement. So with a great effort she held her tongue.

"Yeah," chimed in Taranee, her serious mood returning. "We really should land and try and get our bearings, we can't see the ground through these clouds."

"Uh… actually—I'm not really sure I know how to go down…" said Hay Lin with an embarrassed smile. The other girls looked at her with shock and surprise. "To be honest, I'm not even sure how I was able to go up…"

"JUST GET US DOWN!" shouted Cornelia indignantly. Suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch, the girls went from fly to fall; plummeting out of the sky toward the invisible ground far below. "HAAAAYYYYY LIINNNNNN!" Cornelia screamed.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Far behind the girls, back in the endless desert of Metamoor was a man clad in many furs. He had a large battle axe strapped across his back. And he followed the trail of footprints in the sand.

The portal had called him here, even though he had been far away—he had come as fast as he could. But when he arrived he found no one, only a huge patch of mud, smack in the middle of the hottest desert in Metamoor. The burning sun hadn't been able to boil it all away.

From his expert knowledge of tracking, the man had been able to determine that four people had come through the portal. And he was willing to bet his left hand that at least one of those four, if not all of them, were Guardians. Who else could move so much water?

So now he followed their trail, hoping to catch up with them. For he had a score to settle.

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Shoutouts too all of those who left a review on the last chapter: **Taeniaea, XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9, lost prince **and **Dai Makai.

**Thank you all my readers who keep coming back for more!**

**I really don't have any notes on this chapter. It's pretty straight forward and save for some minor improvements in language and structure it has stayed pretty much the same since its first draft. Which is very unusual for this story so far.**

**Anyhow… I know its not my usual length of AN's but sometimes, that's just all there is to say. Hope to see you all next weekend!**

**Starwin out.**


	19. E5 P3: Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 5: Beyond the Bounds of Earth

* * *

Part 3: Lost and Found

* * *

Irma spun slowly out of control as she plummeted from the sky. The magic spell that had been holding her and the others aloft was gone. Cornelia hung in the air as though she was flying along side Irma but they were not flying, they were falling and Hay Lin had not been able to stop them.

Irma lost sight of the others as they entered into a cloud. The white fluffiness was simply an illusion for once inside there was only damp fog. Irma tried to take hold of moisture in the cloud, to slow her fall, but the water only condensed around her fingers and caused streams of rain to follow after her.

As of late she always seemed to have too much of something she didn't want and not enough of something she really needed to have. Such as in this case: she had finally found some water but now there was no ground. However, in a few short seconds there would be lots of flat, hard, ground from them to fall to their deaths upon.

Within moments the four girls had passed through the cloud. At this blinding speed all Irma could see through her stinging eyes were the blurry outlines of the other girls and a greenish mass of the world below.

Irma had always wanted to try skydiving, but now she was sure that it was something she never wanted to do, ever again. Irma put out her arms trying to gain some control over her fall, but it did little good. She tried to shout to Hay Lin, to get her to stop them, but her mouth was filled with a rush of cold air and she was sure no words were coming out.

"_HAY LIN STOP!_" someone shouted. It took Irma a moment to realize it had been Taranee's voice. It took Irma another moment to realize that she had heard Taranee's voice inside her head!

Hay Lin suddenly halted her fall and the other girls sped past her.

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!_" Hay Lin's voice cried in panic. If Irma hadn't been falling towards her death she might have found Hay Lin cute.

"_STOP US TOO!_" Irma thought as loudly as she could. Almost instantly Irma felt the air around her become softer and her plummet slowed. She came to a stop only inches away from the pointy tips of the treetops, as did Cornelia and Taranee.

"You almost got us killed!" Irma yelled at Hay Lin. The supporting air suddenly vanished and Irma, Taranee and Cornelia crashed down through the branches of the trees.

Hay Lin landed softly on the ground next to the other girls. Broken branches and piles of leaves were scattered on the ground around them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hay Lin continued apologetically.

"Hay Lin," said Irma softly, looking up from the ground where she had been planted face down. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Slowly the girls got to their feet. Even though they had minor scrapes, cuts and rips in their clothing, they were relatively ok, all things considered. But, they all looked a little shaky.

Cornelia seemed to be in the worst shape of all of them. Not only had the flight seriously made her ill but the fall through the trees had torn her clothing fairly badly.

"I look horrible!" Cornelia said examining the damage to her clothing. Cornelia's skirt, long and green, had several major tears in it. Her hair, body and tan blouse, were badly stained with sweat and dirt.

It was true, Taranee couldn't recall ever having seen the queen of cool look so humble as she did now. However, Taranee had to admit she wasn't in much better shape herself. None of them were.

Hay Lin had worn blue jeans and Irma blue overalls. While Hay Lin's were pre-ripped at the knees, Irma's seemed to have held up fine, apart from the dark brown stains around her knees. Irma's shirt had several rips along the back and the sweatshirt that had been tied around her waist was completely gone.

Taranee also noticed that Hay Lin seemed to be missing both her shoes.

All in all, they were a mess. They had been in Metamoore less than a day and they looked as if they had been lost here for weeks! Worse, they didn't have any supplies! And there was no telling how long it would take them to find their way!

No one was coming to rescue them. No one was even looking for them! What would her parents think if she didn't come home tonight? Or the next?

Taranee's thoughts were interrupted when Irma suddenly stood up, her eyes wide and her ears almost visibly twitching as she strained to listen to a distant sound.

"Hey! Do you hear that?" asked Irma, cupping a hand to her ear and tilting her head to one side. Taranee strained her ears, listening for the distant sound but all she could hear was the slight rustle of the wind through the treetops.

"I can't believe it…" whispered Irma. "Come on!" Without waiting for the others to respond Irma took off. The other girls watched as she jogged away. Hay Lin shrugged and, without a word, followed after Irma.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee and Cornelia had lost sight of Irma, but Hay Lin was still visible ahead. So the two girls followed after her, assuming she was following Irma.

"So what do you think of them?" asked Taranee in a low voice, so that Hay Lin would not hear. Cornelia gave Taranee a quizzical look but she knew exactly what Taranee was referring to. It was what Cornelia had been thinking about all day. Ever since Matt had suggested the four of them meet up and try to use their powers to jumpstart their memories.

"I'm not sure yet," answered Cornelia in the same low voice. "I still don't really trust them, I mean Irma did try to drown us and Hay Lin almost dropped us to our deaths!" Her eyes moved to Taranee, "but don't get me wrong, I'm sure you'll come up with a creative way to try and kill us all soon enough."

Taranee didn't respond, nor did her face reflect whatever feelings she was having at being told this. Cornelia smiled awkwardly, unsure if Taranee had heard the sarcasm in her voice.

"I was just kidding about you trying to kill us, by-the-way. You did save my life back there and I do feel something, deep down inside, something I can't explain, like I know you from…" Cornelia trailed off into silence.

"From a distant dream?" Taranee finished. Cornelia looked at Taranee with surprise. That was exactly what she had been thinking. "Like you lived some other life with them, except that life was a lie."

"Yeah… That's how I felt at first, when we were in Heatherfield…" said Cornelia, closing her eyes and trying to remember the feeling. "But now… now it feels like this life is the lie. Like this is the dream… Like we should be friends…"

Another long silence passed between the two girls.

"It was Irma who saved you," said Taranee, after a long moment.

"What?" Cornelia asked confused.

"Irma dove down to pull you out of the water, she wouldn't let you go," Taranee confessed. "She nearly drown herself trying to rescue you." Cornelia felt an awkward emotion insider her chest. "She was so scared for you."

"How do you know?" asked Cornelia, surprised. She didn't remember Irma having said anything about what had happened back in the basement. Taranee was silent for a moment before she answered.

"I can read her thoughts," Taranee said softly. It took Cornelia a moment to understand Taranee's full meaning behind this.

"Wait, you can read peoples' minds!" asked Cornelia, both shocked and a little angry.

"Yes, but, but I try not to," Taranee explained quickly. Then cutting off Cornelia before she could respond, she added, "Irma's thoughts are very… loud. Kind of like a person standing on a pedestal shouting through a megaphone. It's hard to ignore."

"What does a pedestal have to do with it?" Cornelia quipped and for the first time Taranee smiled. "So why did she save me?" asked Cornelia.

"I don't think she's a bad person, neither is Hay Lin for that matter," explained Taranee, her voice expressionless as though she were stating facts instead of opinions. "Just bad circumstances. They both want to do what's right, protecting people and helping others."

Another long pause.

"And what do you think about me?" Cornelia asked, her voice dry in her throat. Why had she asked that, she didn't really want to know what Taranee thought about her, did she?

"I think you _can_ be a good person, too…" said Taranee. Cornelia felt her eyes go wide with a sudden flash of anger, how could she be so cold for someone who wielded the power of fire? "… If you want to."

Cornelia opened her mouth but closed it again. No words came to her, no argument or retort. Taranee was right. She had been acting like such a snob to these people, instead of trying to give them a chance to prove themselves.

The two girls fell into an uncomfortable silence again. This forest was so peaceful it was almost unnerving not to be under threat of death.

"I still can't remember Will," said Taranee breaking the silence and ending the moment of quiet ease. Cornelia looked at Taranee in surprised. "She is only a name… there is no face, no person… no feelings…" Cornelia held her head in shame.

"I had forgotten her name…" Cornelia answered, her heart sinking as she said it.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"HEY! What took you guys so long!" Irma called waving at Cornelia and Taranee as they stopped on the pebbly edge at a huge pool of water.

"Oh, wow," Taranee gasped. They had arrived at a grotto overgrown with tropical plants. At the far end was a sheer black stone wall that looked like it had steps carved into it. Steaming hot water washed down the side and into the dark blue pool at its base. A haze of hot mist hovered just above the waters surface.

A huge tree, over a hundred feet tall, towered over the pond below. Its cooling shade hid the pool in a pleasant shadow from the blistering sun, making the hot spring all that much more enjoyable.

Irma sat on the far side of the pond, near the black stone wall where the hottest water was coming down and the deepest shade of the three hid her from the sun. She'd stripped off all her clothing and left it haphazardly strewn around the shoreline.

Hay Lin teetered at the edge of the pool, her face filled with longing to join Irma but Taranne and Cornelia both looked embarrassed.

"Come on in, this water's amazing!" said Irma contentedly. The girls hesitated, unwilling to strip naked in front of each other. "Fine, just stand there and watch!" Irma said closing her eyes and sinking lower into the hot spring.

With an excited smile Hay Lin pulled off her shirt as though she were in the privacy of her own home. Within a few seconds she was splashing recklessly out into the water. Cornelia let out a sigh and begun to undress as well.

However, Taranee just stood there, stock still, as though she were a statue, her face turning the slightest red. Cornelia folded her clothing neatly and placed them in a pile away from the waters edge. Then, covering her body with her arms, as best she could, she waded out slowly into the water.

"Come on you guys!" Taranee called after the girls. "I don't think this is a good idea! What if that monster is still following us! … Or what if someone sees us…" she added quietly.

"Join us Taranee, it really feels fantastic!" laughed Cornelia, the water seeming to wash away all her worries.

"Yeah, you have to join us!" Hay Lin shouted excitedly waving at Taranee and not even bothering to hide herself. But Taranee didn't dare take her clothing off, nor did she enter the water. She felt something–something she mistook for embarrassment.

Her eyes not leaving the other girls, Taranee sat down at the edge of the water, bringing her knees up to her chest. Taranee knew what this feeling inside her was. It was fear. Fear of the water, fear of this place.

Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin were enjoying themselves, splashing each other, laughing and playing about in the hot spring. It was like they didn't have a care in the world.

"Guy's its time to get out! Come on we have a mission to complete! Remember?" Taranee shouted again. But it was no good. The girls either couldn't hear her or weren't listening. Something was definitely wrong.

"_Join us… join us…_" whispered a deep voice on the wind. Taranee looked around startled. It hadn't been any of the other girls who had said it. But there was no one else around. It was almost like the wind had spoken to her.

"_Can't you see how much fun your friends are having… _?" the voice whispered again.

"No," said Taranee. Clamping her hands over her ears and shaking her head. The voice, it was inside her head. She was going crazy. "They aren't my friends…" Taranee whispered. "I'm all alone…"

"_Yes…_" whispered the voice slyly. A shimmer caught Taranee's attention and she glanced out over the water. The other girls vanished as though they had been a mirage. "_Come… relax… join us… join us…_"

They hadn't been real. Just like Will, it had only been her imagination. There were no other girls… no guardians.

Taranee suddenly felt lost, all alone, small and insignificant.

"_Yessss… yessss…_" the voice hissed as if a snake were speaking it. "_Join us… join us…_" Without her wanting it, Taranee felt her foot move. It took a step towards the water. She didn't want to go in. But she couldn't stop her feet now that they had started, as though she were being pulled.

Her shoe touched the edge of the pond. Ripples spread out across the unnaturally flat surface of the water. Using all her strength Taranee stopped herself from taking another step.

"_Join us!_" the voice commanded. This time it was not a whisper but a booming sound that shook the very ground and caused hundreds of ripples to appear across the still pond. Taranee didn't move.

Without warning something erupted out of the water. Three, vine-like, arms wrapped themselves around Taranee before she could react. They pulled at her trying to bring her into the water.

"_It's too strong… I can't fight it… not on my own…_" Taranee thought. But just as her hope began to fade she felt something warm growing inside her chest. It was a feeling she knew, a distantly, long forgotten, memory.

Closing her eyes Taranee stopped struggling against the vines and placed her hands over the growing warmth in the middle of her chest. The sounds of the world became distant as she gathered all her thoughts on the feeling emerging inside her.

At first it was very faint, and she wasn't even sure she had actually felt anything but as she focused even more, she felt a heart beat along side her own.

"_You are never alone,_" whispered an echo of a voice inside her mind; although the voice came from her heart. She knew that voice, a long forgotten friend whose name she couldn't recall.

"No," Taranee said defiantly opening her eyes. "We are never alone!" A burst of power erupted from her body. Taranee could feel her strength increase. A protective cocoon of energy spread out from Taranee, burning away her clothing and the vines that had ensnared her. There was a distant roar as the injured vines pulled away in anger.

With a flash of light she was transformed from a normal teenage girl into the Guardian of Fire. Taranee felt her body becoming older, her hair changed, becoming longer and she felt great strength awaken inside her. New clothing wrapped around her naked form and small fairy wings sprouted out of her back.

With one final burst of energy the protective shell that had formed around her during the transformation shattered, sending a shockwave of power out across the pond. The pure guardian magic washed away the glamour spell that had been concealing the truth of what was really before her. What Taranee saw, horrified her.

The serene grotto had vanished, replaced by a foul sight. All the trees, save for the one at the top of the stone steps, were dead. Thorny vines wound their way across the ground and through the husks of the trees. They had sucked the life out of the place.

And the shadow that was cast by the huge tree that over looked the grotto had turned from pleasant to shivering cold, like the tree turned day into night.

Taranee's eyes found the other girls. Their disappearance had been an illusion, as had their fun making. They were bound tightly in what looked like roots; their naked bodies partially submerged in thick green slime that filled the pond, and oozed down the black stone steps.

The girls were not splashing around or laughing or playing. The roots held them fast, and silent, and motionless. The tree was sucking out their power, their life-force.

"You leave my friends alone!" shouted Taranee.

Evil laughter boomed through the air. The sound struck Taranee with such force that she had to shield herself. The roots holding the other girls tightened around them.

"So, you want to do this the hard way then?" Taranee whispered to herself. Holding her hands out in front of her, the anger that burned inside her exploded out from her fingers as a huge ball of fire.

The attack struck the tree, leaving it with a huge black scorch mark. An ear splitting roar shook the forest as the death-tree cried out in pain. Thorny vines lashed out at Taranee, not intending to grab her this time but to kill her.

She dodged them with ease, rolling across the pebbled ground.

More vines, hundreds, coming from every direction struck out at Taranee. She did not dodge this time; instead she let her anger manifest itself as a roaring shield of flame. The vines turned to ash as they crashed into the magical shield of fire. The tree screamed in agony again and this time the roots holding her friends loosened a little.

"Let them go," demanded Taranee, her hands ablaze with fire but her voice icy cold. "Or I swear I will burn you to the ground!" There was a pause and the tree's roots released the other girls, dropping their limp, naked bodies, into the green slime where they floated unconscious.

Taranee waded out to her friends and shook them awake.

"Oh, is it time to get out?" Irma asked sleepily.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Roared the man with the Axe. He had reached the end of the trail in the sand. It was like the guardians had vanished into thin air! The man looked into the sky as though hoping to spot them but the sky was empty, save for a few distant clouds on the horizon.

With a horrendous crash of rage the man swung his massive axe into a nearby slab of stone and cursed loudly. However, his words were lost as the rock let out its own roar of anger. The man quickly pulled his axe free and jumped away as the sand came alive around him.

A great monster, made of stone, erupted out of the sand. The axe-man backed away, holding up his weapon menacingly. He recognized this monster, they had once been tentative allies, but with their commander gone they had become enemies once more.

"I just want the Guardians!" shouted the man with the axe. The stone monster growled at him but did not move aside. "Which way did they go, monster?"

Lowering its head the stone monster fixed its one enormous eye on the axe-man and let out a low threatening growl. The axe-man noticed that the monster had somehow grown two more arms, as well as re-growing a previously lost limb, which had been severed by the Guardians.

The axe-man tried a new tactic.

"Tell me which way they went and you can join me," the axe-man said. "Together we will be more than a match for the Guardians, and we can have our revenge!"

* * *

End of Part 3, to be concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Thank you reviewers who took the time to write me: Dai Makai, ****XV-Dragon****, ****lost prince****, ****DayDreamer9****, ****PurpleDolphinPlush****, ****Darev**** and ****Darev****(again for last, last chapter).**

**And of course, thank you all my readers who are continuing to read! I hope you are enjoying the story so far!  
**

**Had a little hiccup last week. I posted mid afternoon but didn't get the alert e-mail until much later that night. Ah technology, it fights us every step of the way! Anyhow…**

**This chapter. Heck of a chapter. This whole episode is a heck of an episode actually. A mini adventure within an adventure. Oddly enough it didn't give me a whole lot of trouble writing it either. I did have to go back through a make some major changes though, but not because I didn't like what I had written.**

**If you can remember back to the AN in Part 1 of this episode (chapter 16) you'll remember (or you can go look if you can't remember) that I said I'd had to rewrite part 1 after losing most of it due to sucking at saving documents properly.**

**Well, when I rewrote that it also forced me to change the next episode and the next and the next. Originally, last episode, the girls ended up in swamp (because that's all Metamoor seems to be made of). However, after the changes I liked the irony of very wet to very dry. So setting changed to desert and story rewritten to flow with that.**

**So what does all that have to do with this chapter? Not very much to be honest, other than the fact the girls ended up in a forest instead of a swamp. But since my notes for last chapter were lacking I thought I would include a little story here.**

**Anyhow… now I'm starting to ramble… don't miss the exciting conclusion of this episode next weekend! If you thought things couldn't get any worse than you haven't been paying attention to my writing style! (evil grin)  
**

**Starwin out.**


	20. E5 P4: L is for WilL

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 5: Beyond the Bounds of Earth

* * *

Part 4: L is for WilL

* * *

Hay Lin walked last in line as the girls continued onwards. Taranee, still transformed, had taken the lead and Irma and Cornelia walked in-between.

The young Asian girl was so tired! They had nearly been drown, crushed by a sand giant, dropped to their deaths out of the sky and eaten by a monstrous tree! Not to mention all the walking! And to make matters even worse she was still covered in gross muck! Dirt, sand and some kind of green sticky slime!

Irma had tried to conjure up some water to rinse them all off but she'd hardly been able to produce more than a tiny spray of mist.

It wasn't just Irma's control of water that wasn't working. Hay Lin's power over air seemed to be almost gone too. And although Cornelia hadn't tried to use her power—'You're not the boss of me,' she had said to Irma—Hay Lin was sure Cornelia's mastery of earth had left her as well.

Only Taranee seemed to have any ability to command her element at the moment. Somehow she had managed to grow older, get new clothing and change her hair style all at once! Taranee hadn't been able to explain it either, but her powers worked fine.

"Enough! I need a rest!" protested Cornelia. Silently Hay Lin agreed, her feet were killing her.

"Ok," said Taranee coming to a halt. "We can stop here for a bit." The exhausted group of girls crashed down onto the uncomfortable ground.

"God, look at my clothes—they're totally ruined! I'd rather go naked than be seen by anyone," Cornelia complained.

"I don't care if you walk around naked," said Irma. "I've already seen you and there isn't much to see."

"Well at least I didn't lead us into a trap!" snarled Cornelia.

"Oh, and that's supposed to be my fault too," retorted Irma. "Well at least I didn't make a giant monster out of sand to chase us down!"

"I didn't make a monster out of sand!" said Cornelia indignantly. "It was already there!"

"Enough!" shouted Taranee, louder than she had meant to. Cornelia and Irma became silent. "We are lost, out in the middle of nowhere, we have no supplies, we have no equipment and we have no idea where we are going!

"It's almost nightfall and who knows what dangerous things come out at night! And all you two have done, all day long, is bicker with each other! Have you already forgotten that the last big fight you had nearly killed you both!" Cornelia's mouth twitched and Irma looked abashed. Taranee tiredly pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath.

"Look, we'll rest here for the night. I'll stand watch, because I am the only one with powers and I can keep a flame going so you don't freeze. Now get some sleep and tomorrow we'll make another push for Meridian, okay?"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Not far away, at the great evil oak tree, stood a man with a great battle axe in his hand. Next to him was the towering form of a monster made entirely of rock. They had once more become tentative allies—set on finding and destroying the Guardians who had humiliated them so many times.

They had almost caught up, the axe man could feel it. The foot prints were fresh and there was even a trail of green slime leading away from the burnt tree. Yes, it wouldn't be long now, the Guardians had to be close by.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee stood watch over her sleeping friends; their prone bodies lay around the fire she had made for them. All her senses were alert, she would be damned if she would let anything else attack them!

Since she had changed into her Guardian form the memories that had been fuzzy and unclear for the last week had started to return to her. She could remember all the battles she and the other Guardians had fought. She could remember Kandrakar, she could remember Elyon, she could even remember their terrible enemy, Phobos.

But no matter how much Taranee tried, the memory of the girl named 'Will' would not come to her.

"Taranee?" asked a voice. Taranee jumped, startled. She nearly attacked Hay Lin as the young girl surprised her.

"Hay Lin!" Taranee exclaimed. She had just gotten a huge rush of adrenaline. "Don't sneak up on people! Especially not when they're on guard duty!"

"Oh, sorry," Hay Lin said absently. "I shouldn't have bothered you. I'll go back to sleep."

"No, no," Taranee said. "It's all right, what's up? Aren't you tired?"

"Not really," Hay Lin lied. She couldn't sleep, her thoughts were filled with so many questions. "Taranee, who are we… really?" Hay Lin asked.

Taranee was caught off guard by the question. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"I feel like part of me is missing and I can't find it," Hay Lin said sadly. "I feel like I've forgotten someone important. I feel like the life I remember is a lie!" Hay Lin's voice broke and she started to sob.

Taranee put an arm around Hay Lin and pulled her into a hug. Hay Lin continued to cry against Taranee's shoulder. "Why do I feel like we should all be close friends? But at the same time that we should be enemies? What made us this way? Why do I feel so empty?"

"I don't know," Taranee whispered back. "But that was exactly how I was feeling," she moved Hay Lin back so she could look her in the eyes, "until I transformed."

"Do you think if I could transform I would get my memories back?" Hay Lin asked hopefully. "Would I remember everyone I've forgotten? Would I remember…" her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Irma, "would I remember all my friends that I've lost?"

"I don't know," Taranee whispered again. "But I know you must have the power within you to transform. We all do." Hay Lin nodded. "You should go back to sleep."

"Yeah that sounds…" but Hay Lin's words were cut off by a horrendous crash. Both girls looked in the direction of the sound.

The stone monster that had chased them in the desert had found them again. With one mighty blow it had cleared away a huge line of trees as it stomped towards the teenage girls.

Both Irma and Cornelia were awake at once.

"IRMA, CORNELIA!" shouted Taranee. The stone monster was charging at them. "It's Gargoyle! Run! Run Away!" Taranee lifted a hand above her head and created a huge ball of fire, she didn't think it would do anything to the stone monster but what choice did she have?

"Who the heck is Gargoyle!" Hay Lin cried as she clutched Taranee's arm

"One of Phobo's minions that wasn't locked away in the tower of mists!" Taranee said. Her face was focused with concentration as he gathered all her powers. Taranee did not look at Hay Lin as she said her next words. "Run Hay Lin, get out of here." Hay Lin let go and took a few steps back shaking her head.

"No," replied Hay Lin. "I… I can't leave you."

Taranee looked at Hay Lin, her expression hard as stone. "I said RUN HAY LIN!" Taranee shouted. Frightened, Hay Lin ran off into the dark woods.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Still groggy, Irma didn't fully comprehend what was going on. She had woken up to a loud crashing noise and Taranee shouting something about gargoyles and…

Panic raced through Irma's body and she was suddenly fully awake. She spotted what was making the crashing sound. The huge stone monster from the desert was charging at her! Two of its four arms ripped trees from its path while the others made ready to crush her.

Irma was frozen with fear, she couldn't move. All she could do was watch as the great club-like-fists fell down towards her. But before the fist could crush her something hit Irma hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. She tumbled across the ground painfully. An ear splitting crash thundered from behind Irma as she came to a stop.

"Are you alright?" Cornelia asked. She was lying on top of Irma, protecting her form the flying debris that the monster sent flying. She had been the something that had pushed Irma to safety.

"Yeah, thanks Corny," said Irma as she scooted out from under Cornelia and sat up. Cornelia's eyes narrowed.

"Don't call me Corny!" said Cornelia. Irma smiled and surprisingly Cornelia smiled back. A roar from behind them reminded both girls just where they were, and how much danger they were in. This time Irma jumped one way, while Cornelia went the other. Gargoyle's fists crashed into the ground again, striking the spot they had just been.

Irma's hand shot out. She willed a blast of water to launch at the stone giant. But she had forgotten that her powers were gone. And only a little squirt water splashed harmlessly at Gargoyle's legs.

"_Good, only 8 billion more attacks like that and you might start to wear it down!_" thought Irma. Irma looked at Cornelia, apparently she wasn't having much more luck with her powers and had only managed to throw some sand at Gargoyle.

With a roar the monster turned on Cornelia and began to chase after her.

"Wait—that's it!" Irma said aloud. She had come up with a plan, inspired by their activities earlier that morning.

Irma turned to see where Cornelia and the monster were. Cornelia was dodging between the trees, trying to get away, while Gargoyle was simply knocking them over. Cornelia was running away from Irma, trying to lead the monster off.

This was her chance! Kneeling down Irma focused all the power she had at the ground, creating a puddle of water that was quickly absorbed into the dirt.

"Cornelia!" shouted Irma. "Its eye! It's not made of stone!"

Turning sharply Cornelia evaded another strike form the monster. She used the momentary pause to chance a glance up at Gargoyle and saw that Irma was right. But that hardly seemed to matter, the other 10 tons of it _were_ made of stone.

"So what!" Cornelia shouted back angrily as she started to run again.

Irma scooped a ball of mud from the ground and threw it as hard as she could at Cornelia. But the mud ball never reached its target. Reflexively, Cornelia used her power over earth and stopped the projectile in mid flight. She suddenly realized what Irma had meant.

"HEY! UGLY!" Cornelia shouted, coming to a stop and turning to face Gargoyle. The surprised monster did the same. "Here's mud in your eye!" With all the power she could summon, Cornelia hurled the ball of mud directly at Gargoyle's eye.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee watched as Irma and Cornelia rolled out of the path of Gargoyle's fists. Then, with all her strength, she turned her attack sideways and launched the ball of fire at the branches of a nearby tree.

The leafs burst into flames but the moment before they did a man leapt away, landing several meters from Taranee. He was clad in mismatched bits and pieces of both fur and armor as if he could find neither beast nor man which had skin big enough to cover his body. In one hand was a giant axe, the blade glowed faintly blue in the moons light.

He turned his head slightly to look at Taranee, who returned a glare of defiance.

"So, I didn't hide as well as I thought," said Frost. "It doesn't matter that you sent your friend away, when I am done with you I will find her and…"

"Do nothing," sneered Taranee as she gathered two more blasts of fire in her hands.

Frost suddenly lunched forward, lifting his axe with both hands. Taranee let lose her attack but to her surprise Frost seemed ready for this. Using his axe like a shield he blocked the attack. The two jets of fire bounced off the axe striking the ground and setting it ablaze.

With a roar Frost swung his mighty axe at Taranee but she leapt backwards, only just managing to dodge the blow. Frost the Hunter pulled his blade from the ground and pointed its blade threateningly at Taranee.

"I've tracked you across burning sand and deadly forest," said Frost, grinning a little. "But I would gladly have endured much more for this chance to take my revenge."

The trees and ground blazed around them, throwing the two advisories into harsh fire light.

"I'm sorry you came all this way than," said Taranee, there was no smile on her face. "Because you're not getting any revenge tonight!" Without warning Taranee sent more fire attacks at Frost. He easily deflected them again with his axe.

Taranee commanded a wall of fire to roar into existence between her and Frost, but his mighty blade sliced through the wall causing it to falter and die. Taranee took a step away and Frost saw his opening.

With a roar of bloodlust he charged at the surprised Guardian. Taranee was able to avoid the first swing but the second one slashed her across the top of her chest, only a few inches below her neck.

Taranee cried out in pain as her flesh was sliced. Her hand came to the gash trying to hold back her blood, but it did little good. Blood swelled out of her wound and Taranee staggered away, her left arm feeling dead at her side.

A grin spread across Frost's face as he slowly pursued her. Taranee stumbled, trying to run, to escape. She hadn't remembered his axe. She hadn't known about it's power to deflect her magic. He was too much for her to fight on her own. She just hoped that Hay Lin was very, very far away by now.

"Where are you going guardian?" Frost taunted. "Don't you want to try again?" Taranee felt a sharp pain in the back of her right leg as Frost's blade cut her just below the knee. With a cry of pain, Taranee collapsed forward, unable to walk. She clawed at the soil, pulling herself away from Frost—crawling along the ground—trying to escape.

"_No! I don't want to die, not like this!_" Taranee thought desperately. "_Please, someone help me!_" Her strength almost gone, Taranee pulled herself up against a tree. There was blood all down her front and while she couldn't see the cut on her leg she knew it must be very serious by the amount of pain it was causing her.

Frost moved slowly towards her, tossing his axe from hand to hand. His face was filled with longing. Stopping in front of Taranee he raised his axe to deliver the final blow. Taranee closed her eyes, she couldn't watch.

Frost grunted. There was a whoosh and a thud but Taranee felt nothing, no impact, no blade. Taranee opened an eye to see why the strike had not come and saw Frost's great axe stuck in the ground a foot away from her. Frost lay face down and standing over him, holding a large rock, was Hay Lin.

"Sorry it took so long, I had to improvise," Hay Lin smiled.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Gargoyle roared with rage and frustration. Its arms swung wildly, ripping the trees from the ground as it tried blindly to strike Cornelia but she was far out of reach. Cornelia ran towards Irma, getting clear of the destructive arms as the monster roared in anger and frustration.

"Hey, great plan!" panted Cornelia, her face flushed from all the running.

"Great shot Corny… Uh, I mean, Cornelia," Irma corrected herself. The smile on Cornelia's face suddenly vanished and her eyes widened.

"But I hope you have another one because…" said Cornelia, pointing at the stone monster. It was wiping the mud from its one large eye. The white orb had become red and irritated, giving the monster a look of rage and insanity.

"Yep," said Irma, calmly. "Plan B."

"And what's plan 'B'?" Cornelia asked.

"RUN AWAY!" shouted Irma as she turned and sprinted away. Gargoyle roared and crashed after them.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Are you all right?" asked Hay Lin as she knelt down next to Taranee. She hadn't really needed to ask. Taranee was anything but alright, the horrible gash across her chest made that painfully obvious. Color was draining out of Taranee's face. Hay Lin could see that Taranee had lost a lot of blood.

"Not really," shivered Taranee with a cough. She pressed her hand against sensitive wound. She was losing blood fast, if she didn't do something soon she was going to go into shock and bleed to death. Closing her eyes she did something she knew she would regret. Taranee felt her finger starting to burn as though it were a torch.

"Hay Lin," whispered Taranee, her strength fading fast. "Take my hand, press my finger against my wound, no matter what, don't stop until you close it. Got it?"

Hay Lin turned pale as though she too were losing blood at an alarming rate.

"GOT IT?" Taranee demanded again. Hay Lin nodded her head and Taranee held out her hand. Taking a deep breath, Hay Lin pressed the glowing red-hot finger against Taranee's wound. Taranee let out a horrible scream as she inhaled the stench of her own flesh burning.

"I'm Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hay Lin chanted as she cauterizing Taranee's wound. Hay Lin was almost done when Taranee's eyes rolled back in her head and she stopped screaming. Hay Lin wanted to stop too. She wanted to make sure Taranee was okay, but she had promised to finish no matter what. "Almost done, almost done, almost done," she said to herself just as much to Taranee.

Hay Lin finished the gruesome task of burning closed Taranee's injury. Hay Lin's hand flew to Taranee's neck, there was a pulse, a weak pulse but a pulse. But there was still so much blood!

Hay Lin found the second wound, on the back of Taranee's calf muscle. The young Asian didn't think she cold do it again, nor did she want to put Taranee through it again. But it hardly mattered since the fire at the tip of Taranee's finger had extinguished.

Hay Lin needed to find something she could wrap the leg with, but what? The only thing she had was… was her own clothing.

Not thinking twice, Hay Lin undid her own shirt, pulled it off and wrapped the white fabric tightly around Taranee's leg. It was instantly stained crimson.

A grunt from behind Hay Lin made her jump. Frost was recovering from his own injury and was working to get to his feet, one hand already on the axe. There would be nothing Hay Lin could do against him now. She no longer had the element of surprise; let alone her element of air. She didn't even have the rock she had hit him with.

Hay Lin flung her body protectively over the unconscious Taranee. She closed her eyes and cried against Taranee's slowly rising and falling chest.

"_Do not worry Guardian of Air"_' said a voice in Hay Lin's head. She knew that voice, she knew who it belonged to… "_Our friendship gives you strength."_

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Irma and Cornelia stopped running, they had come to dead end. The same black cliff they had encountered back at the fake hot spring now blocked their way. Gargoyle stopped running too, a sadistic grin spreading across its face as it moved in slowly for the kill.

"I don't suppose there's a plan 'C'?" Cornelia asked hopefully, looking at Irma. Irma shook her head.

"I'm… I'm sorry," said Irma, looking Cornelia in the eyes.

"For what?" asked Cornelia.

"I'm not sure really, I just know that… well, that I'm sorry…" Irma held her hand out to Cornelia and smiled. Cornelia reached out and took Irma's hand, returning the smile.

Gargoyle stopped in front of them, ready to strike. Both Cornelia and Irma closed their eyes waiting for the final blow. The stood hand-in-hand as friends.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"AIR!" shouted Hay Lin. Warmth rushed over the petite Asian girl as her power surged around her. The fabric of what little clothing she had left unraveled, as the magic of her element consumed it.

Hay Lin hugged herself as she embraced a long forgotten friend, the element of air. The air returned her hug, its power wrapping her tightly in its protection.

New clothing spun into existence around her changed body. She was older, although she only looked taller. Her power lifted her heart and gave her strength.

Frost paused, surprised by the sudden transformation, but a that was enough. In that moment of indecision, Hay Lin unleashed a small blast of air at him.

However, Frost recovered just in time and absorbed the attack, holding up his magical axe like shield and blocking the attack. "That won't work no matter how many times you try Guard…" Frost's cruel laugh ended abruptly as he lowered his axe. It was impossible! The Guardians were gone! He had only let them out of his sight for an instant and they had vanished!

Frost spun around, searching in all directions. Surely the Guardian of Air must have taken to the skies and with this bright moon she would be easy to spot. But her cowardice angered Frost!

"GUARDIAN! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?" roared Frost.

"Right where you left me," came Hay Lin's voice. Frost spun again, but he would never know what hit him. The powerful blast of air carried Frost the Hunter high, high up into the sky, screaming all the way.

Hay Lin dropped the spell of invisibility and both she and Taranee reappeared at the base of the tree.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Gargoyle brought down its terrible fists; all four of them at once with a horrendous crash that made the very earth shake. It pulled its fists away expecting to see the broken bodies of the Guardians but instead it found nothing.

No bodies, no Guardians, no anything. Gargoyle blinked confused as it stared stupidly at the craters in the ground. With all its rage and anger it smashed the ground again, and again.

When at last the monster halted its assault on the ground, the only sound was its ragged breathing. Maybe it had crushed them so hard that there was nothing left…

Confused and tired from battle and travel the monster slumped off vanishing into the overgrowth of the forest and not even bothering to look skyward at the three people floating above its head.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

With the gentlest of ease Hay Lin lowered Irma and Cornelia to the ground near Taranee. The trees in the area had been decimated and they now stood in a large clearing.

"Thanks for the save!" said Irma as she smiled at Hay Lin, admiring her new form. Hay Lin managed a weak smile but her eyes flicked to where she had left Taranee. Both Irma and Cornelia followed her gaze.

Cornelia gasped and Irma cringed. But to Irma's surprise Cornelia moved quickly to Taranee's side and knelt next to her. Cornelia put out her hands and forced her healing powers to work. She would heal Taranee, even if it took all her strength. Slowly a faint golden glow immersed Cornelia's hand as she held it above Taranee's injured leg.

"So," said Irma, after a long silence had passed. Cornelia was still concentrating as she tried to heal the unconscious Taranee's leg wound. "You were able to change too, huh?" Irma looked in the direction of Hay Lin who sat some distance away, her arms wrapped around her legs as she watched Cornelia and Taranee.

"I heard a voice," said Hay Lin. "Will's voice. I remember her voice but nothing else about her."

Irma did not reply. She was too ashamed to say what her thoughts told her about Will.

"I don't remember her at all," said Cornelia, not opening her eyes as she continued to work to mend Taranee. "That name keeps slipping away from me, as if I've only heard it spoken in whispers."

"So you got some memories back when you transformed, but the question is, 'how did you transform'?" Irma asked more to herself than anyone else. Hay Lin shrugged.

"I kind of felt this warmth," said Hay Lin. "Right here in my chest." She pointed to the middle of her chest, just to the right of her heart. "Almost like there was another heart right there."

Irma closed her eyes, trying to find the feeling Hay Lin had described. But there was nothing. No feeling of warmth. No voice. No…. no Will. Just emptiness and sadness…

"Do you think it might have been the Heart of Kandrakar?" asked Hay Lin hopefully. Irma reopened her eyes and looked at Hay Lin. The pretty Asian girl seemed more serious than Irma had ever seen her. "Do you think it is somehow inside us?"

"Inside all of us?" asked Cornelia, her face tense with concentration. "How is that possible?" Irma shook her head.

"I have no idea," said Irma sadly. "But if it is, why did only you and Taranee transform? Why not us too?"

"Uhnnn," Taranee moaned, her eyes blinking open. Both Irma and Hay Lin rushed closer to her.

"TARANEE!" Hay Lin shouted, throwing her arms around her friend.

"Ouch, Hay Lin, take it easy please," said Taranee, a laugh in her voice. Taranee's eyes fell on Cornelia as she continued to heal the still painful leg.

"It won't be good as new," whispered Cornelia, her eyes still closed as she continued to work. "But now, it will have a much better chance of healing fully on its own."

"Thank you," Taranee said looking around at her friends, "All of you."

* * *

End of Episode 5

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**And thanks to all of you who left a review: **XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, Taeniaea (again for last, last chapter), DayDreamer9, Darev, lost prince and Dai Makai.

**Thank you everyone who is reading along! You've made it through 5 episodes! You deserve an ice cream or something. In fact, go out and buy yourself some ice cream to celebrate your dedication! (and don't forget to get some for me too while you at it).**

**So anyhow…**

**Wow, another episode down! Things seem to be moving so fast sometimes. Almost like I am putting up a chapter every week or something… Of course there will be no chapter next weekend. That would be crazy.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, lots of action, a little fan service and possibly the most disturbing scene I have ever written (between Hay Lin and Taranee, you know the one. If you don't than you didn't read this chapter, and that makes you a cheater for reading ahead to my AN's first… darn cheater… (for everyone who is not a cheater the reference for cheating is obviously not applied toward you (did you know I can keep putting things in parentheses all day long (seriously, its one of my favorite writing activities (I'm just adding more and more because I feel like it (anyhow (enough of that silliness)))))) . I've worked really hard on this whole chapter.**

**One last thing, and then I will let you get on with your normal (well as normal as can be expected anyhow (see, parentheses everywhere (seriously I think it's an illness or something))) lives. For those who do not know, there will be a week long break between this episode and the next (so not next Sunday but the one after that (OMFG these are everywhere!)).**

**Anyhow…**

**Feel free to visit my forums while you wait. There is some extra info there about the story. I'm planning on putting up another bonus piece next weekend (titled 'Making the World'), but I am still writing it at the moment.**

**Starwin out.**


	21. E6 P1: Meanwhile

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 6: Allegiances

* * *

Part 1: Meanwhile

* * *

Matt stood at the top of the stairs that led down into the basement of Elyon Brown's former house. His face was panic stricken. He had just watched four girls drown, unable to do anything to save them. Water had filled the room to the brim only moments ago.

Matt's mind raced in circles as he stared at the dark water, unsure what to do now. But there was hardly even time for him to make a decision; a bright, eerier blue light burned at the water surface. Matt lifted his hand to shield his eyes.

Quickly the surface of the water began to turn and with a roar like a waterfall the room began to empty. Matt watched unable to comprehend what was going on.

In only a short moment it was all over. The water was gone and the light faded away. Matt looked down into the darkness of the basement, unable to even see the floor below, let alone if anyone was down there.

Matt shouted out for the girls, but only his echo answered him. He needed a light. Matt grabbed a nearby lamp and turned the switch, its bright bulb flared to life. Quickly he moved back to the door and held up the lamp.

Matt blinked. It was impossible. The basement wasn't only empty it was spotless. No traces of water, no crack in the floor. It was as if the room had swallowed up everything, girls and all.

Still in awe, Matt descended slowly down the stairs, the light of the lamp filling the room. The girls were gone and all Matt could do was hope they had made it to Elyon safely.

Matt turned to leave and it was then he saw the most disturbing thing of all. How had he not noticed? His mind flashed back to Hay Lin trying to turn on a light, when they had first arrived in the house, and Cornelia hissing at her that there was no electricity.

And there on the stairs, was the short power cord that had been dragging behind the lamp. It hadn't even been plugged in but the light was on all the same. Startled, Matt dropped the lamp with a crash and the light went out.

Moving quickly through the darkness Matt stumbled up the stairs and knocked over a chair as he made his way to the door and pulled it open. He bolted outside, wanting to get away from the house as fast as he could. When he was a block away Matt came to a stop, he was breathing hard and his heart was pounding in his chest… almost like there were two of them…

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Clouds were still heavy in the sky, blotting out the distant sun and hiding the city below in shadows, as if it were already night. The relentless rain that had been falling all week long had subsided, leaving behind a gloomy echo in the air.

The town was almost devoid of people as if its inhabitants were afraid that stepping outside might cause the storm to restart. However, at Sheffield Institute a small group of children stood boldly under the sullen sky. It was almost Saturday afternoon and there were no classes, or activities to be had in such weather. But all the same, six teens, dressed in black and silver, waited silently in the middle of the muddy field.

They were the Dragon Knights of Rakadin and the threat of rain did not frighten them.

One of the masked teens stepped forward, his eyes sweeping across the desolate grounds of the school. He was sure no one had seen them arrive.

"It's not raining?" Dante asked, looking back at the others behind him. A girl with silver hair and deep black eyes was looking at the clouded sky, her expression unreadable.

"No," said Serenity, her voice betraying a note of uncertainty. "Something has changed... Something is missing…" Serenity closed her eyes as if she were trying to hear a distant sound. Without looking at them she continued to instruct her Dragon Knights, "You will continue to search for the Heart."

"We've search all of Heatherfield," said Hayden as he watched Serenity. "What makes you so sure it ended up here?"

"Because…" explained Serenity calmly, not opening her eyes as she continued to listen to the sound only she seemed to hear, "this is where Will says the Heart is hidden."

"Okay, so where are we going to try looking today?" asked Alex. "We've looked almost everywhere."

"The only places we have not yet looked," said Serenity as she opened her eyes. "The Guardians…"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

While the four boys each went to hunt down a different Guardian, Serenity and Will continued to try and sense for the Heart. After all there were only four guardians left; so only four Dragon Knights were needed.

Will had been hearing the Heart's distant beat all week long but they had been unable to locate it. Every time they got close, the beat got weak and faded away.

Will stopped walking and let out a heavy sigh.

"It's gone again," said Will, visibly slumping. She and Serenity had been wandering around for the better part of an hour. They had ended up in the middle of Heatherfield park. "It's no good. The feeling keeps fading away, like it doesn't want to be found."

Serenity gently pulled the young redhead around to face her. There was a sadness behind Will's eyes that Serenity couldn't help but feel. Placing a soft hand against Will's forehead Serenity ran her fingers through Will's untidy hair. Will was looking at the ground trying to fight back the tears welling at the sides of her eyes.

"That's not true," said Serenity as she tried to coax Will to look at her.

At first, Serenity's thoughts had only been focused on finishing what her father had started. But over the last month that she had spent with Will, Serenity found that she desired to complete the plan less and less every day. She just wanted to be around Will, to hold her, to make her happy...

And that was the problem, of course. Will wasn't happy. The cause of Will's grief was her lost friends. Serenity had drastically underestimated how powerful their bond had been. The other guardians had been true friends to Will and when Serenity had cut them away, a part of Will seemed to go with them.

"Don't look so sad, Will," said Serenity, kindly. "You make the sky weep for you." Serenity pulled the girl into a reassuring embrace. Will returned the hug, burying her face in Serenity's shoulder.

"I feel so confused," cried Will. "I keep having these dreams about people, friends and family that I never had. They feel so real but when I wake up I feel like there is a hole in my heart." Serenity was glad that Will could not see her smile falter.

"Will…" Serenity whispered. "There's something I have to tell you… something I've been keeping from you…"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Hayden stood outside the water guardian's house. There was a strong feeling of magic at this place but even so, Hayden was sure that Irma was not at home. Serenity had taught him and the other Dragon Knights, how to sense for magic, how to listen for the music that it made. And though there was a faint sound of it here, it was barely a lingering echo.

Looking through the magical eye holes of his mask, Hayden made one last sweep of the house. There was nothing, no trace of the Guardian.

Concentrating harder, Hayden listened intently for the other Guardians. He was trying to hear their unique, yet harmonious, song that each inspired. But there was hardly even a remnant of their melodies. All Hayden could hear was the discord that he and his brothers created. The cacophony of the Dragon Knights.

Unlike the Guardians who complemented each others music, Hayden and his brothers each played to their own beat. When taken as a whole the sound was almost unbearable. However, individually, each was moving in its own right.

Serenity was the conductor, the one who brought all of their songs together. The one that tied their magic and brought harmony to their discord.

At first Hayden had resented Serenity for taking away his leadership, for making him no more than her lackey. But now, he hardly even thought about it.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Will and Serenity sat next to each other on a bench in the park. Will's eyes were searching the ground, not really seeing it, while her mind tried to comprehend Serenity's words.

"I don't… I don't understand…" said Will, breaking the silence. Serenity did not answer immediately. "You took away my memories?"

"I took away the lies," explained Serenity. "Your life, your family, your friends. It was all an illusion, created to keep you from finding out…" Will looked at Serenity as if she had never seen her before, confused by the silver haired girl's words.

"From finding out," repeated Will. "From finding out what?" Serenity slowly turned her head towards Will.

"I've wanted to tell you—for a long time now—but I didn't think you would be ready to hear the truth." said Serenity. Will's expression hardened. "Until now…

"Will, the Oracle is…" a crack of thunder drown out Serenity's next words and they were lost to all but Will. Will's eyes widened in surprise.

"I… how can that be?" stuttered Will, inching away. Serenity shook her head sadly. "He… he can't…"

"I'm sorry Will but it's the truth," answered Serenity her eyes moving back to Will.

"And my mother… she knew about this?" asked Will angrily. Serenity hesitated, but nodded. "I can't believe it! All this time and she never…"

"Longer then you imagine," said Serenity cutting off Will's rant. "But don't be angry with her. It is the Oracle's fault that things are the way they are." Will stood suddenly, her emotions overtaking her.

"I have to go see my mother…" said Will, her voice bordering on the edge of hysteria.

"Go. I will be here waiting for you," replied Serenity. Will stormed off, headed towards home. Serenity watched Will until she was out of sight, than teleported away.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Owin was on the far side of town, down near the ocean. He stood outside Taranee's house. There was no one here and no trace of the fire guardian.

Silently, Owin continued to watch the empty house. He was debating if he wanted to go back to Serenity or not. Hayden, Dante and even Alex… they all seemed to be under her spell. They all took her orders without question. They all thought of her as a friend…

But Owin did not. She was dangerous. Owin had seen what Serenity had done to that boy a few days ago. She had killed him without hesitation or remorse. And she had intended to do the same thing to Matt Olsen.

If the Guardians hadn't shown up when they did, Matt would be just as dead as Uriah. Owin's fist tightened at the thought. His eyes locked on the building in front of him, not actually seeing it.

His friends had not believed him. They would not even hear him out about what he had discovered in Rakadin. All they would hear were Serenity's lies.

Shaking his head, his mind made up, Owin turned to leave… to run away. He would not go back to Serenity. If his friends would not listen to him, then they were no longer his friends. There was nothing more he could do for them and he wouldn't help Serenity kill anyone else.

However, Owin hadn't even taken a step before he was stopped, frozen with fear. Serenity stood watching him, she had not been there a moment ago.

"You resist me more strongly than the others…" said Serenity softly. "Your mind keeps trying to wake up. At first, I thought it was only the Fire Guardian who had halted me in my toils with Will's memories. But now I believe it was you as well…"

Owin felt his breath coming fast and his heart racing out of control. His mind was a jumble and his body would not move. But his anger gave him the strength to speak, the power to yell.

"We're just pawns to you!" shouted Owin. "You don't give a crap about me and the others!" Serenity did not respond, so Owin continued. "We should never have joined you. I don't know what it is you have planned but I want no part of it."

"You made a vow to me," said Serenity coldly, taking a step toward Owin. Owin tried to back away but he could not. He could not run away. He experienced a terrible feeling of déjà vu. Serenity's cold hand reached out and touched the side of his face.

"You're right," said Serenity. "You are just pawns to me. My father believed your predecessors could be loyal and powerful servants. But when Rakadin was sieged by the Oracle, the _loyal_ Dragon Knights did not come to their emperor's aid. They fled like cowards.

"That is what I see in your eyes, Owin," Serenity continued as she moved closer to him so that their faces were mere inches apart. "You are a coward—but a coward that I still need. So, for the moment, you will just have to forget… again…"

Serenity kissed him and Owin's memories and doubts were stolen away.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Matt absently looked out the window of the bus, watching the gray buildings race by. He had intended to ride the bus home, but he had not gotten off at his stop. He just sat there, ignoring the people who came and went like ghosts.

The girls had vanished completely, leaving no trace behind and he… he had done magic. _He_ had done magic. How, how was that possible? So many strange things had been happening in his life lately that he shouldn't have been at all surprised by this revelation.

A flash of red against the gray city drew Matt back from his ponderings. He had only seen her for a moment and only as a passing glance, but he was sure that had been Will!

Leaping out of his seat and causing the other passengers around him to jump, Matt raced to the front of the bus.

"Stop the bus!" Matt shouted. The driver looked startled but quickly brought the bus to a screeching halt. Matt raced down the steps, squeezing himself through the doors before they had fully opened.

The sidewalk was empty, save for Matt. His eyes searched desperately for the person he had seen. But there was no one else. He was alone and Will, weather she had been real or imagined, was gone.

Matt walked off, becoming lost in his thoughts once more. He didn't even hear the driver asking him if he was okay. Nor did he see the looks of curiosity on the faces of the other passengers.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Will!" shouted Susan Vandom as she embraced her soaking wet, little girl. Will stood in the hallway, in front of her apartment, dripping wet. Will did not have a key with her, so she had knocked instead. "My god! What happened to you? It's not even raining today!"

"Bus splashed me," mumbled Will absently as she let her mother pull her inside. Susan rushed off to find towels. Will stood in the living room, dripping on the carpet and holding herself uncertainly while her mind raced around in circles.

Susan returned with an armful of towels and looked at her daughter with kind impatience, "Will you are going to catch a cold if you don't take off those wet things!" said Susan, making Will jump as though she had forgotten that her mother was there.

"Mom… Why… Why didn't you tell me?" Asked Will softly, not looking at her mother and tightening her self embrace.

"Tell you what?" asked Susan concerned as she knelt down next to Will preparing to help the girl undress and dry off.

"About my father," said Will, unable to stop the tremble in her voice. Susan stopped and looked Will in the eyes. The older woman was surprised by the mention of her ex-husband, Tony. The man had tried to exploit Will to get money out of Susan, but that had been years ago.

"What about Tony?" asked Susan confused.

"NO," Will shouted this time. "My real father—the Oracle!" Susan suddenly let go of Will and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"How… how do you know about the Oracle?" demanded Susan, in shock.

"It… It's true then?" stammered Will. She hadn't actually expected her mother to admit it. "The Oracle is my father?" Susan shook her head but not to indicate that Will was wrong.

"Will… he was… a long time ago, another life time ago… When he was another person… when I was another person…" said Susan disjointedly. She calmed herself before continuing. "But he was never a father to you. Not after the things he did. Things I cannot ever forgive him for."

"Things like what happened in Rakadin, right?" Will asked. Susan's eyes got even wider. "I was a Guardian, Mother," Susan continued to shake her head in disbelief. "The Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar."

"That bastard," Susan spat. "He promised, he swore an oath that he would never…"

"Obviously," added another voice that made both Will and Susan jump. "The Oracle is a liar, among many other things."

"Oh my god…" gasped Susan, visibly shaken from just hearing the voice. "Serenity? I thought… I thought…"

"That I was gone forever?" replied Serenity. She had appeared out the shadows and was walking slowly towards Will. "No, mother. I am not gone. Although, not for lack of trying, on the part of the Oracle."

"Wait," said Will, now incredibly confused as she looked between Serenity and Susan. "What do you mean 'Mother'?" asked Will.

Serenity's eyes drifted back to Will.

"It's not what you think," explained Serenity.

"We're sisters?" asked Will, uncertainly.

"Not sisters," replied Susan. "You're the same person… or rather, two parts of the same person… A long time ago, before Kandrakar, before Rakadin you had a different name. I had a different name. A life time ago I was called Xin Jing and I was Queen of Inndrakin.

"I used all my powers to defy my husband and to divide Inndrakin in two to stop an endless war. But it was not just the Kingdom; it was the people inside it. I sent away all the anger and hate…"

"… or at least that's what you intended," interrupted Serenity. "But that's not what actually happened, was it?"

"No," replied Susan solemnly. "I learned that such things can never be taken out of a person. If a person was a glass and the water inside it their essence, how could you pick and choose one part of that person from the other parts when they are all the same?

"So I did the only thing I could—I separated the two parts of a person. The body and the soul. The soul of every person stayed in Kandrakar while their body was sent to Rakadin.

"The parts I sent away came from all the people of Inndrakin including my first husband, Ori Kull. Myself, and our daughter… Ming Yun. One part of her was you, Will." Susan's eyes flicked to the silver haired girl. "And the other was, Serenity." Will stared uncertainly at her mother her mind almost unable to comprehend what she was saying.

"You are the soul of Ming Yun," continued Susan. "The part that stayed with me in Kandrakar… and Serenity is the body of Ming Yun that was sent with Kull and Elise to Rakadin… along with many others…

"My power was taken from me and like the people who were divided, so where my powers. One part became the Heart and stayed in Kandrakar to ease our troubled souls. While the other part became the Soul and followed our wayward bodies to Rakadin, to guide their broken hearts.

"I thought that once all the anger was gone from Kandrakar that the need for war would stop. But the anger was not gone, it was simply hidden and the fighting did not stop. The Oracle was once more appointed leader and although the anger did not show on his face, I could see it still burned within him.

"The war continued. It was not a battle between good and evil but war of one man fighting with himself. A man divided: Ori Kull.

"He couldn't let go. Neither the Oracle or Kull would stop until they destroyed one another. Such beings cannot co-exist. Finally, it ended on the day the Guardians and the Oracle invaded Rakadin for the last time. To destroy Lord Kull. To destroy the part of the Oracle he did not wish to remember.

"That was the day I took you from Kandrakar, Will. That was the day I vowed never to go back to that life."

"Why didn't you tell me!" cried Will. "Why don't I remember any of this?"

"Because the Oracle has forbidden it," explained Susan. "You too, are immortal, Will. You will live until the last star fades from the sky. But you are also not a full grown woman. You would be forced to live thousands of years as a child. Both the Oracle and I agreed that it was best for you…"

"Best for me? BEST FOR ME!" shouted Will. "Why didn't anyone ask me what I wanted? Why did everyone assume they knew what was best for me?" Serenity closed the distance and hugged Will supportively.

"I'm sorry, Will… I…" Susan tried but Will turned away from her. "I only did what I thought was… was the right thing. You were never supposed to find out about Kandrakar, not like this, not until you were… older… Cornelia was supposed to…"

"I think it's time we leave…" said Serenity, cutting Susan off. Her black, reflectionless eyes fixed on the older woman.

"What are you planning to do now?" Susan asked, watching both Will and Serenity with pained eyes.

"You already know the answer to that…" replied Serenity, she hesitated for a moment but then added softly. "You can come with us…"

"No," said Susan sadly, shaking her head. "That part of my life is gone. I don't deny that I was ever someone else, but that's not who I want to be, anymore…

"It's not who you have to be either… it's not too late to stop," Susan pleaded with Serenity. For a very brief moment the unreadable calm in Serenity's eyes faltered and Susan could see that the young silver haired girl was seriously contemplating just that.

"I know," answered Serenity. "But it's not what I want that matters. This is what I have always been meant to do…" She looked at Will in her arms. "What we have been meant to do."

"I feel the Heart," said Will suddenly, pulling back so that she could look Serenity in the face. "Its stronger than ever before." Without a moments hesitation Serenity teletransported them away.

Susan sank to her knees and cried, knowing that if Will came back she would no longer be Will.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Matt wandered the streets of Heatherfield aimlessly. The only thing in his mind was a dull buzzing. Matt had lost track of time and direction, he just moved on with no destination in mind.

Absently pressing a hand against his chest Matt tried to feel the second heartbeat again, but he couldn't even feel his own heartbeat, let alone a second one.

A crack of thunder broke Matt's thoughts, finally snapping him out of his stupor. An odd sensation pounded in his chest. He couldn't explain why, but he knew danger was coming.

Matt was about to run as fast as he could. However, there was another flash, like lightning, but no sound of thunder accompanied it. When Matt blinked the brightness away someone stood blocking his path. Matt staggered back, startled, surprised and frightened.

No one had been there a moment ago. Matt was sure he had been completely alone. But now a demon had appeared in front of him. At least that's what Matt thought at first, for it had a monstrous face and large leather wings. But as Matt recovered he could see that its face was only a silver mask and that there was the body of a person attached below it.

"Where are the guardians? Where is the Heart?" a voice asked from behind Matt. A shiver ran down his spine, he knew that voice. Unable to make his whole body turn to face the person who had spoken Matt looked back over his shoulder.

It was the girl! The silver haired girl that had tried to kill him! Serenity! And with her were a small group of armored demons, each wearing a silver mask like the face of a dragon.

Serenity's eyes flicked from side-to-side and two of the people surrounding Matt moved forward, reaching out to grab his arms. Matt reacted without thinking. His hands shot out. A burst of electrical energy erupted from his palms, striking the two boys in the chest.

One was sent flying out into the street where he crashed into a parked car. The frame of the vehicle crumpled like tinfoil around his body. The other boy was thrown through a wooden fence that boarded the edge of the sidewalk.

The Knight that had blocked Matt's path quickly wrapped his arms around Matt in a crushing bear hug. Matt gasped in pain as he felt his life force being sucked from his body.

Suddenly Matt felt a new sensation, like he had been pulled out of the universe. A moment later he popped back into existence a few hundred feet down the street.

"Dante!" Matt heard Serenity yell in the distance as she pointed at Matt. "Stop him!" Matt turned and ran as fast as he could. He ran so fast that when the portal of darkness opened in front of him Matt did not have time to avoid it. He raced through hardly even aware he had.

It was a girl that caught Matt around the neck as he emerged from the portal. Her brown eyes narrowed as she looked through her silver mask.

Matt felt his own eyes widen. "Will?" Matt choked out. Will's grip tightened.

"You took my powers!" said Will, coldly. "You took my Heart!"

"I…" Matt tried but his voice was cut off as Will's anger pressed harder on his neck.

Serenity rested a hand on Will wrist. "That is enough, Will." Serenity said. "If you kill him we will not be able to learn what we need to know." For a moment it looked as if Will was going to ignore Serenity and kill Matt anyway, but she let him go.

Matt fell to his knees, coughing. Serenity knelt down and lifted his chin with a gentle finger so that she could look at his face, his eyes. Serenity's own black soulless eyes met with Matt's. It felt like she was looking deep into him, past his eyes, as though trying to see his thoughts.

Matt couldn't move! His body wouldn't react.

"Tell us," whispered Serenity, "where the Guardians have taken the Heart of Kandrakar." Matt's voice was trying to speak, but he forced it down and shook his head, ever so slightly, unwilling to answer. "I see. You think you can still protect them?" Serenity sneered. Even though Matt was cold it was Serenity's touch that made him shiver.

"Perhaps a more powerful incentive '_Will'_ change your mind," said Serenity. Her eyes flicked to her left, looking back at the Dragon Knight who Matt knew was Will.

"Wh…Wh..ill," begged Matt, his voice coming out in gasps. Will looked at Matt with a cruel, unfeeling gaze. "Let… let her go and I'll tell you where they are!" Matt pleaded. Serenity returned her gaze to Matt.

"No," said Serenity without hesitation. "You shall tell me what I wish to know, where the Guardians are hiding, or I will take from you..." Serenity moved her hand around to the back of Matt's head, grabbing his hair, and pulling him forward so that she could whisper the last part into his ear, "… all of your memories of Will!"

Matt's eyes went wide. "You can't! I'll never forget! No matter what you do to me!" His eyes flicked over towards Will who watched him with anger on her face.

Serenity pulled Matt's head back to face her and kissed him roughly on the lips. Matt was shocked and confused, but quickly his emotions turn to fear as he felt his memories of Will become fuzzy and begin to slip away; like Serenity was sucking them out through his mouth.

Matt pulled free of the kiss, but only because Serenity had let him. She looked a little shocked herself.

"You taste like Will," said Serenity. She licked her lips hungry for more of his memories.

"Meridian," said Matt as he closed his eyes and looked away. "They went to Meridian."

"Good boy," said Serenity. "And for your reward, I will relieve you of the rest of your painful memories." Before Matt could protest, Serenity kissed him again, taking as many memories as she could until at last Matt hung limply in her embrace.

Serenity dropped Matt to the rain soaked ground before standing and facing the others.

"It seems the guardians are seeking help from an old friend," said Serenity. "Bring him with," Serenity's eyes flicked to Matt's unconscious form. "We'll drop him someplace where he can't cause anymore trouble. Then we will go to Meridian and finish this."

* * *

End of Part 1: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**First up, thank you to all my reviews who reviews last chapter: **Taeniaea, XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9, Darev, lost prince, Dai Makai **and **2ndChild!

**Thank you to all of my readers who continue to read along! I hope you are enjoying the story.**

**This is a strange chapter, one that caused me a lot of grief actually. Originally it was its own episode block (as you might be able to tell), but after reading it over in the context of the story I found that the purpose for which I had intended it was not working. **

**This "chapter" was meant to be a break in the action, a pause before the fast passed climatic ending that spans two episodes! (hehe did that get anyone else excited?). However when it was its own episode it was just too long, too much pause.**

**I kept thinking, "this is great, but where are the others?"**

**So I dropped a few things… I dropped a lot of things… Alright, I took the first and fourth parts of the episode, grabbed the best parts of those and haphazardly stuffed them in here. **

**Don't worry you aren't missing out on anything. And it works much better with the story as a chapter instead of an episode anyhow. You get all the exposition in a nice neat little package… albeit a very face paced package that damn near gave me an aneurism from how much information I had to give out at once… but a little package none the less.**

**If anyone is at all interested there is some additional content in my forums called "Making the World" that talks about some of the ideas that went into making this.**

**Also, in my updates section I have posted the title for the last episode.**

**Anyhow…**

**Starwin out.**


	22. E6 P2: Messenger from the Sky

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 6: Allegiances

* * *

Part 2: Messenger from the Sky

* * *

The Castle of Shining Light glowed a pearly white in the early morning sun. Its majestic towers rose high above the city below and the river that partly encircled it was the clearest blue. It was the center of Meridian, the center of Metamoor. The castle stood as a beacon of hope to all its people.

However, that was not how it had always been. For longer than anyone could remember the castle had been called something else, the Fortress of Letum. It had been a foreboding place, a stronghold of evil that cast a dark shadow across the world. It had been ruled by the once powerful Prince Phobos. His cruel hand had brought despair upon the world of Metamoor.

But with the help of the guardians Phobos had been defeated and his vile taint wiped from the land. Now he was imprisoned, far away, where he would never again gain power.

Since the fall of Phobos, the castle had changed dramatically, not only in name but appearance as well. The thorns and vines had been cut away, the barricades taken down and the corpses of defeated rebels, who had been strung up in decoration and warning, removed.

The transformation had also affected the people of Metamoor, giving them a reason to live and to smile again. For now, Metamoor was ruled by a kind and gentle person, Queen Elyon. And, although she was young, her heart was pure and she desired to only do good for her people, who had endured so much hardship under her brother.

Elyon spent much of her time in the throne room, making decisions and dealing with the problems of her kingdom. But for a girl of only thirteen, such a task was tiresome, although Elyon would never admit it nor let the weariness show in her bright eyes. She was devoted to her people and would do everything that she could to help them recover from Phobos' terrible reign.

Except, today, Elyon had not arrived for her morning meeting with her royal staff. She was almost never late to the first meeting and some of her advisers had become worried as too what was keeping their Queen.

So one of the staff had been sent to check on her, or rather had volunteered to go; a ruggedly hansom sixteen year old boy, dressed in a long brown coat. He had short brown hair and eyes to match. And like all members of the royal guard, he carried a long sword at his side.

For one so young, no outsider would have guessed that this boy was not simply just another guardsman, he was in fact the Captain of the Guard. Nor would they have guessed that, to Elyon, he was more than simply a member of her royal staff.

He was Caleb, the former rebel leader who had fought against Phobos. He had played a key part in the evil prince's downfall. And after the fall of Phobos he had become bodyguard to Elyon.

Perhaps it was their constant closeness that had washed away Caleb's formality with his Queen or maybe it was something more. Either way Caleb did not knock as he cautiously pushed open the door to Elyon's chambers.

"Elyon?" asked Caleb. As the Captain of her Guard, Caleb knew he should show her more respect, addressing her as Queen, at the very least. But as of late, things had become… complicated.

Elyon looked back over her shoulder and smiled brightly at Caleb, glad to see him. The young girl had long blond hair that was braided down her back in thick strands. She was dressed in a beautiful gown of white and blue that hid her maturing figure. And her crystal blue eyes shined as if Caleb was the sun reflected in them.

The young queen was standing at the far end of her room. She had pulled closed all the tall curtains of her windows so that the room was very dim. The only light came from a small glass orb that was partially hidden behind Elyon. The glass ball was held in a golden frame and its surface whirled with smoky images that Caleb could not make out from where he stood.

It was a scrying orb, a relic of old magic that Elyon sometimes used to see things far across her kingdom. It had been locked away because the previous owner of the castle, her older brother, Prince Phobos, had not been able to use it properly.

"You missed breakfast," explained Caleb when Elyon did not answer. "And the morning meeting. I was just making sure you were okay." The brightness in her face dimmed a little. "What's wrong?"

"It's… it's nothing…" said Elyon. She was trying not to sound sad but her words had a disheartened tone to them. Caleb entered her chambers, closing the door behind him, without her biding him in. He crossed the room in semi darkness to quickly join her on the other side, near the shaded windows.

Caleb could see images and faces reflected in the scrying orb, although they were hard to make out. But when Elyon saw him looking she waved her hand and the glass orb went dark. The room went dark as well but there was enough light sneaking through the curtains for Caleb to see the dim outline of Elyon standing before him.

"It's Cornelia, isn't it?" asked Caleb. Elyon looked away, embarrassed. "You haven't told her yet… have you?"

"No," said Elyon, sounding very sad. "It's not that I don't want too… well… it is… a little bit… It's just that we don't get to see each other very often anymore… and I really haven't had a chance… and now… now she's in Metamoor and… and…"

"Cornelia's in Metamoor?" interrupted Caleb. Elyon's sad blue eyes flicked to Caleb's dark brown ones. She looked like she might be on the verge of tears. Caleb moved closer and embraced Elyon reassuringly. "Don't cry, my Queen." Caleb whispered into the top of her head.

"I told you not to call me…" said Elyon pushing Caleb away but her words were silenced as Caleb kissed her gently on the lips. There was a long moment of unbroken silence that, to Caleb and Elyon, seemed to end too quickly. Elyon smiled shyly at Caleb and he returned a sideways grin.

Bright light suddenly flooded the room as the large wooden doors were pushed fully open. Caleb squinted and used his hand to shield his eyes from the momentarily blinding light.

"Touching," interrupted a cold voice that made both Caleb and Elyon jump. Caleb reached for his sword instinctively but stayed his blade as he saw the face of the person who had intruded upon them.

"Will?" asked Caleb, confused. Walking through the large double doors at the far side of the room was Will Vandom, leader of the Guardians of Kandrakar, Keeper of the Heart. Will smiled darkly and Caleb instantly felt that something was wrong.

"That's not Will…" whispered Elyon as she clung tightly to Caleb's arm.

"Forgive our intrusion," said another voice. A second person stepped out from behind Will, and then a third and fourth, until six figures stood, blocking the doorway, the only exit from the room. They had come from an impossibly small space, as if they had been perfectly lined up behind Will so as to be completely concealed.

Five of the new comers, Will included, were clad in silver metal armor. But the sixth person had no armor. Instead she had shoulder length silver hair and deep black eyes that gave Caleb a chill when he looked into them.

"I am Serenity," proclaimed the silver haired girl with a very slight bow, "Empress of Rakadin and a dear friend of Will, and these are my Dragon Knights. We have come seeking your help in locating the rest of the Guardians." Caleb's eyes swept across the masked faces of the people standing around Serenity, he could tell these were no friends.

"I'm sure Will can help you with that," said Caleb, tightening his grip on his weapon. The silver haired girl called Serenity stepped forward. Caleb moved protectively between her and Elyon, drawing his sword and holding it out threateningly. "I don't know what you're real intent is, but you are not welcome here."

"So it would seem," said Serenity narrowing her eyes. One of the Dragon Knights held up a hand and pointed it at Caleb. The sword in Caleb's hand turned to dust as black smoke enveloped it.

But this did not faze Caleb at all. He was a weapon's master, a warrior! Drawing a knife from his belt he lunged at the silver haired girl. Another Dragon Knight rushed forward so fast that he almost seemed to teleport in front of Caleb.

The dagger was knocked from Caleb's hand. But the deflecting blow let Caleb grab the small boy's wrist. With a sharp twist and a hard push, Caleb was able to toss him out of the way.

"Caleb!" cried Elyon. Caleb turned around, feeling a sudden panic at the distress in his Queen's voice. The gold frame that held the scrying orb had come to life and was now holding Elyon captive.

"Elyon!" Caleb shouted as he ran back towards her. But Caleb was only able to take a few steps before intense pain surged through his body. It felt like he had been hit by lightning! Caleb crumpled to the floor, his legs unable to support him and his body unwilling to react to his command.

Caleb did not pass out from the pain, instead he lay on his side, his eyes open and focused on his Queen. He was unable to help her, unable to move. But from what Caleb saw next it seemed that his Queen did not require his help.

With a scream of rage, white energy flared in her eyes. An aura of power pulsed into existence around Elyon's body, shimmering like white hot flame and causing the scrying orb and its metal frame to explode. Shards of golden shrapnel were flung out into the walls, shredding the floor to ceiling curtains that hung over the large windows.

Light poured in to the room, seeming to make Elyon glow even brighter.

"I don't care if you are Will!" shouted Elyon. "You'll pay for that!" A ball of light formed out in front of Elyon. But, before she could release the attack, another Dragon Knight stepped through a portal of darkness behind her. Elyon did not see him, and Caleb couldn't get his voice to work to give his Queen warning.

The Dragon Knight wrapped his heavy metal arms around Elyon, just like the animated scrying orb had done. He pulled her down, out of the air; interrupting her concentration. The aura of magic faltered and she struggled futilely in her captor's arms.

Serenity stepped over Caleb and stood in front of Elyon, taking hold of her jaw so that Elyon could not turn away. Then, to Caleb's shock, Serenity kissed Elyon. He felt anger and rage at such an appalling action.

Elyon struggled against Serenity, trying to pull away. Her eyes desperately looking at Caleb, pleading with him to help her. Filled with adrenalin Caleb managed to move a little, however a heavy metal foot crashed down on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Caleb's eyes did not look away from Elyon's. The two stared at each other, unblinking. They were so close and yet there was nothing either of them could do to help the other.

The brightness of life that always shown in Elyon's eyes faded and she stopped struggling. Serenity pulled away and Elyon hung limply in her captors arms. Rage exploded inside Caleb. Rage like he had never felt before

With a roar that seemed to shake the room. Caleb grabbed the armored leg that pinned him down. Using his new found strength, brought on by his blood rage, and rolling to his side, Caleb unbalanced the Dragon Knight.

The boy let out a cry of surprise as he fell backwards, landing with a crash on the hard ground. The noise and sudden motion brought Serenity's attention towards Caleb, but Elyon's blank eyes just looked at the floor.

All Caleb could see was red as he charged Serenity. Not caring that he didn't have a weapon, he would beat her to death with his own two hands. But, before he could, someone moved in front of him, her arms spread wide.

It took Caleb a moment to realize who it was. It was Will who had intercepted him. For a second time his hands were stayed by her. But before Caleb's brain could even consider what to do next, a fist impacted the side of his face.

Caleb stumbled, his body had completely lost its sense of direction and balance. Just as he started to recover a devastating kick crashed into Caleb's chest. The force of the kick was so strong that it lifted Caleb off the ground and sent him flying backwards, into the tall window.

The fragile barrier of glass was no match against Caleb's fast moving body. The window shattered around him and Caleb began to fall, the hundreds of feet towards the ground below. Shimmering shards of glass rained down after him. If the fall did not kill him the incredibly sharp fragments of the window certainly would.

Everyone's attention was focused on Caleb, so they did not even notice Elyon stir. Nor did they see the small glow of magic in her seemingly vacant eyes. Nor did they hear the words she whispered.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

It was still early morning as Irma, Taranee, Hay Lin and Cornelia made their way out of the forest. They had not slept well. But who could blame them, after all, last night had been a battle for their very lives with two horrible monsters intent on killing them!

They traveled slowly. Cornelia was helping to support Taranee so she could walk and it was slow going. The healing magic had closed the wound in Taranee's leg but there was still damage that hadn't been repaired. But Guardians healed fast, so Taranee was sure to be restored soon, if they weren't attacked by anyone else.

Irma had picked a direction they all seemed to agree on and they had set out without argument. Although neither Cornelia or Irma had yet been able to transform, they were still trying to help as much as they could.

"I think I see a clearing ahead!" shouted Irma. She was currently in the lead, while Hay Lin was at the end keeping watch. All of the girls had to squint as they emerged from the edge of the wicked place, entering onto a large, flat, treeless meadow.

The forest at their backs, the trials of the night behind them, the girls finally smiled in the warmth of the sun.

"Ahhh that feels so good!" said Hay Lin, turning her face upward towards the sun's rays.

"Let's take a rest here," said Cornelia. She had been the one to insist that she carry Taranee and she looked exhausted. She helped Taranee to sit before lying down in the soft warm grass herself, feeling the calm earth beneath her body.

Ever since Cornelia had come to Metamoor she had felt that something had been missing. Now she knew what it had been, it was her connection to the ground, to the planet, to her element. With her powers so low she hadn't been able to feel its embrace or hear its music.

But now, she could once more feel the soft cradle of the earth, as it took her in its arms and held her gently. Maybe her powers were finding their way back to her, just like they had with Taranee and Hay Lin. Why had they been able to transform? Why hadn't she?

"We're still lost," said Taranee, interrupting Cornelia's blissful escape. Cornelia opened her eyes and rolled to her side. She looked up at Taranee, the girl she wanted to remember as her friend but still saw as a stranger, no matter how much she tried. "We have no idea where Meridian is, let alone where we are." said Taranee.

"We'll find our way," said Cornelia, her voice as reassuring as she could make it. "Look how far we've come already!"

"Oh yeah," Irma said, butting into the conversation. "We've gone through a scorching desert and monster infested forest. What's next? How about some jagged mountains that we have to climb over? Or maybe a giant lake filled with piranha?"

"Calm down," sighed Cornelia. Irma always had to be arguing with someone or she wasn't happy. That's why they had stopped being friends last year… wasn't it? It was a funny thing, now that Cornelia tried to think about just what had happened, to make her and Irma hate each other so much. But all she could find was… nothing… she couldn't remember a big fight or a final argument…

"Calm down?" cried Irma, feigning annoyance. "Calm down! I'm sorry if I'm a little agitated! But since we got here we've been chased across burning hot sand, attacked by a huge one eyed monster made of stone, twice I might add. Dropped thousands of feet from the sky…"

"Sorry," whispered Hay Lin under her breath.

"… almost been devoured by a man-eating-tree," continued Irma, "had an insane axe welding maniac chase after us and nearly get smashed into pancakes! So excuse me if I'm not calm!"

"Mmmm, pancakes," said Hay Lin licking her lips and rubbing her tummy.

"You aren't helping Hay Hey," said Irma giving the young Asian girl a sad sideways glance. Cornelia could see a sorrow in Irma's eyes as she looked at Hay Lin. Cornelia couldn't help but wonder what had happened between them to end their friendship. They had always seemed so close…

"Oh, well… you did forget the part about us being covered in muck and slime," added Hay Lin helpfully.

"Actually, I left that part out on purpose. But yeah, thanks, that makes everything sooooo much better," said Irma sarcastically. "Seriously, how could things get any worse! I'm surprised the sky hasn't fallen down on us or something!"

As though Irma had willed it to happen, a large shadow of something falling from high in the sky appeared around Irma. The other girls scooted away.

"It figures," said Irma sardonically.

A moment later the falling object crashed into her with tremendous force. It caused a small cloud of dust to rise up around them, like a tiny explosion. The other girls moved forward with concern. Irma looked okay, although her eyes were spinning and she seemed to be a little out of it.

However, the real draw was the thing that had fallen on Irma, or rather the person. A boy, dressed in a long brown overcoat and leather armor, with matching short brown hair. He looked almost as dazed as Irma.

"It seems like boys are just falling out of the sky for you, Irma," teased Taranee.

"Uh… what… Irma?" the boy asked. He was clearly dazed from the fall and his words were slow. Suddenly he seemed to recover as he saw the other girls gathered around him. His eyes suddenly locked on Cornelia and there was surprise in them. "Cornelia!" he exclaimed surprised.

Cornelia looked at him uncertainly but said nothing.

"I guess you're still mad at me," the stranger said, his face pained. "But we don't have…"

"Oh you bet I am!" interrupted Irma impatiently, as she began to squirm, trying to get free. "If you don't get off me I'll kick your butt so hard that you'll be able to taste my foot in your mouth for a week! And believe me after the things I've stepped in since we got here it'd be a fate worse than death!"

"Sorry!" said the boy as he pushed himself off Irma. "But there's no time to waste. You have to come with me, right now!"

The girls looked at each other with uncertainty.

"I'm sorry," said Taranee at last, "but who are you?" Shock spread across the stranger's face and his mouth dropped open.

"You can't be serious, it's me, Caleb!" said Caleb. "I know we've had some rough times, but you can't seriously have forgotten me! Cornelia, come on this isn't funny!" he move towards her to touch her, but Cornelia pulled away looking elsewhere. Cornelia didn't know why but she felt very uncomfortable.

"I think you'd better explain," said Irma getting between Caleb and Cornelia and poking him hard in the chest.

"We don't have time for that! It's Elyon, she's in trouble!" said Caleb exasperatedly. At the mention of Elyon's name all of the girls gave Caleb their full attention.

"You know where Elyon is?" Hay Lin asked excitedly.

"Of course!" Caleb shouted back more forcefully than he had intended, his mind still whirling with the recent conflict. "And if you would just listen I'd tell you!" Hay Lin shrunk away. Caleb calmed himself before continuing. "Right now she's at the Castle. A prisoner of someone called Serenity…"

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Super-big-mega-huge-awesome-thanks to everyone who left a review for the last chapter: **DayDreamer9, lost prince, XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, Dai Makai, Powerloth, 2ndChild **and **Darev!

**Thank you all my readers who keep coming back!**

**I know not everyone was thrilled about the previous chapter, but, well… I do the best I can. It was supposed to have been its own episode originally, because so much had to go on. But if you didn't like it as a chapter, would you really have wanted to endure it as an episode?**

**Anyhow… enough self hate for the moment, plenty of time for that later…**

**Ok. This chapter. Well this chapter went through many, many, many, manymanymanymany… iterations and variations. In the first draft it was the first chapter of this episode but I had to push it back to make room when I cut out an episode.**

**There were many different life cycles, all of them somehow involving Caleb falling on top of Irma, that's about the only consistent part that stayed in every version. Unfortunately there are far too many to list, it would seriously take up extra pages (and I don't remember most of them at this point).**

**Its not that I was unsure about what was going to happen its just that every time I finished one pass I would rewrite parts, which would require other parts to be re-written, which would require still other parts to be re-written and… well you get the idea.**

**In the end I came to this one. It does what I needed it to do, which was have Caleb fall on top of Irma and throw in two funny lines about it. :D**

**Anyhow… one last thing and then I will let you go. There used to be a very ridiculous line in here, that I removed because it was far too silly. But I can't just let it go into the darkness.**

**So in the scene near the very start of the chapter, where all the people step out from behind Will, the end explanation used to be: "they had come from an impossibly small space, as if Will were some kind of clown car."**

**It may not seem that funny to you but I couldn't stop laughing every time I read it. In fact I'm laughing about it right now. In any case, it really didn't belong.**

**Alright, that's enough.**

**Starwin out.**


	23. E6 P3: Shadow of the Colossus

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. Also, just to be safe, I don't own anything related to the PlayStation 2 video game "Shadow of the Colossus" as this chapter is titled and inspired by that game.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 6: Allegiances

* * *

Part 3: Shadow of the Colossus

* * *

The sun had reached its very pinnacle in the cloudless sky. Its intense rays beat down mercilessly on all those below. And to five people in particular, the heat seemed increasingly intense.

The group of five walked at a brisk pace across an almost entirely flat grassland. Small rocks jutted out of the otherwise unbroken sea of green grass, but there was no shade or trees for shelter. Not that the group would have stopped to rest anyways.

They were on a mission. One with the most dire importance and they could spare little time to rest.

At the lead of the group of five, was a medium built, muscular boy. His long brown coat flapped in the gentle wind that danced across the grass. His name was Caleb and he carried another on his back. A dark skinned girl of maybe fifteen who wore very strange clothing of green and purple. There were also small fairy-like wings that protruded out of her back. She was Taranee, Guardian of Kandrakar, mistress of Fire.

A young Asian girl walked behind Caleb. She was also dressed in greens and purples, like Taranee; like it was some kind of uniform. Except that instead of the striped tights—that Taranee wore—a long purple skirt, that had been split so that her bare legs were visible, hung down to her ankles. She also had small fairy wings but unlike Taranee, her long raven colored hair was tied into two tails that flowed along behind her. This was Hay Lin, Guardian of the element of Air.

Next to Hay Lin was, by comparison, a very ordinary looking girl. She had short walnut colored hair and was dressed in dirty and tattered clothing. Her name was Irma and she too was a Guardian of Kandrakar, queen of the Water; except that Irma hadn't been able to transform into her older guardian self, like Taranee and Hay Lin.

And lastly, walking in front of Irma and next to Caleb, was the last of the party. Like Irma her clothing had been badly abused and was heavily stained with all manner of things icky. She looked much more like a girl than Irma did, most people considered the brown headed girl somewhat of a tomboy. The tall, slender, long golden-blond haired girl had soft cream colored skin and a still developing, though very attractive, figure. She was Cornelia, the last of the Guardians of Kandrakar and her powers commanded the very Earth to move.

The group made their way through the tall grass, towards their destination, the capital city of Metamoor; Meridian, where Queen Elyon ruled over her world. Or, at least normally she did. For the dire mission for which the girls were on was to save Elyon from the clutches of a soulless evil, by the name of Serenity.

The grasslands began to slop upwards into a hill. The party trudged along, hardly even noticing the incline. Oddly no words of complaints came from any of them. Silence had settled over the group. They had to conserve energy for the journey and whatever lay ahead of them. In the quiet only the warm breeze made any sound. And quiet was something Irma Lair could not take for very long.

Irma couldn't help feeling that there was something she didn't like about this Caleb boy; more than just the fact that he had fallen on top of her. And she could no longer keep her thoughts internal.

"So how exactly did you fall out of the sky?" asked Irma. She quickened her steps and maneuvered between him and Cornelia; cutting off his wandering eyes that seemed to keep finding their ways back to the blond. Cornelia was continuing to try her best to look elsewhere.

"I'm not sure," said Caleb with a shrug that made Taranee grunt in pain. "Sorry," he apologized over his shoulder. "One moment I was falling hundreds of feet out a window. And the next moment I crashed down on top of you. The only thing I can think of is that Elyon must have used her power to transport me to you."

"And how did Elyon know where we were?" asked Taranee, she couldn't help but be part of the conversation, being so close by.

"I think she was watching you," said Caleb, "in her scrying orb."

"Wait, wait, wait…what?" replied Irma, annoyed. "She knew we were here and didn't come find us?" Caleb started to shrug again, but stopped himself.

"She must have thought you were on a mission or something," said Caleb. "She couldn't have known you'd lost your memories. She did look very worried about you though, if we hadn't been attacked I'm sure she would have sent out help."

"Do you think she can help us get our memories back?" asked Taranee.

"Elyon is the most powerful person in Metamoor, I'm sure she can do something for you," smiled Caleb. "We just have to save her first."

"It's never easy, is it?" sighed Irma.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

They crested the top of the grassy hill. The group came to a stop as they saw the amazing sight before them. The sprawling city of Meridian lay in a valley below. Rooftops spread out as far as the eye could see. Buildings of all shapes and sizes were packed closely together so that nearly every street looked like a narrow alleyway.

Even from their relatively high spot overlooking the buildings below they could see the hustle and bustle of the town's people. And across the city, at the farthest point from where they stood, sitting on a distant hill, was the Castle of Shining Light, their final destination.

Irma let out another sigh as she saw the distance they still had to go. "Naturally," she whispered to herself wiping the sweat from her damp brow. She wished that there was at least some cloud cover, this heat was so brutal.

A distant crack of thunder brought Irma's eyes skyward. Dark clouds began to rapidly cover the sky and hide the sun. The lightest sprinkle of rain began to fall. Irma closed her eyes and chanted to herself, "I wish I had a glass of lemonade, I wish I had a glass of lemonade."

Irma chanced opening an eye, but she did not find what she had been hoping for. Instead the others were looking at her with mild surprise at her odd action. The walnut haired girl laughed uneasily, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Are you alright, Irma?" Hay Lin asked looking both surprised and concerned.

"Yeah," said Irma scratching the back of her head. "I just kinda thought I had the power to make things happen for a second. I mean first I wished this guy," Irma jerked her thumb in the direction of Caleb, "out of the sky. Then I get clouds when I ask for them…"

"You are the guardian of water," interrupted Taranee. "Clouds aren't that much of a stretch for you."

"Except my powers are a little less than a hundred percent," said Irma holding out a hand and causing a tiny spray of mist to waft out of her palm. "Like closer to zero percent."

"They did just seem to come out of nowhere," said Cornelia. "Almost… almost like that rain storm back in Heatherfield…" Silence once again settled over the group as everyone contemplated both the strange swirling black clouds and Cornelia's words.

But the quiet quickly ended when an ear splitting boom echoed across the city. The horrible noise had come from the direction of the castle. A massive explosion sent out a shockwave of dirt and rain water, as a cloud of debris engulfed part of the castle. Towers crumbled down into the dust cloud but as quickly as they had fallen the towers began to rise up again.

A monster, taller than the Castle of Shining Light, lumbered out of the obscuring cloud. It was made from what looked to be parts of the castle itself, as if someone had joined the towers and walls together and brought them to life. The colossus made its way through the city towards the Guardians. Each footstep sent the towns' people fleeing with cries of fear.

The rain began to fall harder, no longer a drizzle but not a pounding storm either.

"Hay Lin," said Taranee as she slid down from Caleb's back. "That's not something we can fight on the ground…" A flash of lighting through Taranee into a bright relief for a moment.

Irma looked at Taranee in surprise, she couldn't seriously be considering fighting that thing, could she? Only Taranee and Hay Lin had any powers at the moment and Taranee was still injured.

"Get us all airborne, we have to stop it before it destroys the city," said Taranee.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Of all the things Cornelia hated—and there were a lot of things the blond girl hated—like homework and people who didn't know how to match clothing properly and anything slimy… flying was definitely near the top of that list.

So the fact that Hay Lin had once more given them the power of flight and was guiding them through the ice cold rain towards the big-living-castle-monster, should have caused Cornelia to protest loudly. However, she hadn't protested at all. In fact, Cornelia was more focused than she could ever remember being before.

The sight of people in trouble and the urge to reach Elyon had given Cornelia a strange feeling. Something she couldn't quite explain. She _had_ to do this. She _needed_ to do this.

For some reason Hay Lin had not been able to give the gift of flight to Caleb, so, Cornelia was carrying him. He felt heavy in her arms, but she would endure, even if she hated it.

"Down there," Caleb shouted again, bringing Cornelia out of her thoughts. She looked to where Caleb was pointing, down towards the city and something in the narrow streets. Not sure what he wanted Cornelia dove out of formation, following Caleb's instruction.

People scattered out of the way as Cornelia swooped Caleb along the ground. His hand flashed out and he grabbed the hilt of a sword from the venders table. Not needing to be told, even though Caleb had shouted it to her, Cornelia went back up to join the others as they raced towards the monster devastating the city.

The rain had begun to fall in thick sheets and the girls could only make out the shadowy outline of the colossus. Every so often a flash of lighting would reveal its horrible misshapen form. It really did look like a walking castle.

"Maybe you two should stay back," shouted Taranee through the rain at Irma and Cornelia. The falling water dampened her voice, making her shouts sound like whispers. "It's only going to get more difficult from here on."

"No way!" Irma yelled back. "You got your powers when you needed them the most, and I'm not going to be the last one to get mine!"

"Ha! You wish," Cornelia said as loudly as she could. She tightened her grip on Caleb. Her arms held him tightly across his chest and her chin pressed deeper into his shoulder. "If anyone is going to get their powers back today it's me, for sure!"

"Look out, incoming!" cried Hay Lin. The girls had just enough time to dodge as parts of what might once have been a house went flying by them. Water spun off the building as it cut a path through the rain. The living-castle-monster had started hurtling whole buildings at the Guardians.

"Does anyone else have that 'uh-oh' kind of a feeling right now?" asked Irma as the girls flew back into formation.

"We can't stay this close, were easy targets! Split up!" shouted Taranee. Breaking up once again the girls raced away from each other all flying in different directions.

"Get me closer!" shouted Caleb as Cornelia dipped low to skim along the roofs of the houses. Cornelia nodded, even if Caleb couldn't see her do it. Cornelia put on more speed as she raced towards the colossus.

The rain water was running down her face making it hard to see. She wanted to close her eyes, or to blink the stinging water away, but she was so close to the rooftops that she didn't dare blink, even for a moment. Her eyes burned but she had to keep them open.

And it was a good thing she did. An enormous hand, two or three stories tall swung out of the curtain of rain at her. Cornelia pulled up and rolled, avoiding the deadly attack. She couldn't even see the body the hand was attached to, the rain had hidden it completely.

Swinging Caleb with all her might, Cornelia let go of him, aiming for the hand. With expert skill he landed on the monster's wrist and stuck his sword deeply into one of the wooden sections. The monster lifted its hand high into the air taking Caleb with it.

Cornelia did not have time to look back and see where the hand had vanished too, or where it had taken Caleb. She sped towards the body of the monster and pulled up hard as the wall of stone appeared in front of her.

Cornelia came frighteningly close to the misshapen body of the living castle. Close enough that she could reach out a hand and touch the stonework skin, had she wanted to. Close enough that she could see faint lines of blue energy holding the bricks together and the rain water streaming down between the joints.

Arching backwards, Cornelia turned away from the monster, flying away from its body upside-down for a moment before spinning and righting herself. She was hundreds of feet in the air, yet she hadn't even made it to the monsters head.

Cornelia looked around, unable to spot the other girls in the rain storm. She took this opportunity to wipe some of the water out of her eyes and slick back her wet hair.

"_How are we going to fight this thing?_" wondered Cornelia to herself. And to Cornelia's shock there was an answer.

"_Together,_" said a voice she recognized. "_I've linked us all telepathically,_" continued Taranee's voice as though she were whispering in Cornelia's ear. "_Just think like you were talking and we will be able to hear you._"

"_Helloooo?_" came Irma's voice inside Cornelia's head. "_Testing, one, two, three."_

"_Yes Irma,_" thought Cornelia. "_We can hear you just fine._"

"_This is so strange!_" chimed in Hay Lin.

"_S_o _what's the plan?_" asked Irma.

"_I don't know, but we have to do something!_" thought Cornelia at the others. "_It's destroying the city! And if a boy is brave enough to fight this thing then so are we!_"

"_I think the term you were looking for is 'stupid', not brave,_" mumbled Irma's voice.

"_But how do we actually beat it?_" asked Hay Lin. "_Me and Taranee can use our elements but he is way too big for me to lift. And I don't think fire is going to do very much to it. And I can't keep us flying forever_!" said Hay Lin her voice sounding almost hysteric.

The massive hand broke out of the rain again as the colossus swung at Cornelia. Or at least she thought it was a swing at her. But the hand missed Cornelia by a good several meters. A crash of air pushed against her as the hand rushed passed. Cornelia's eyes followed the swing and she spotted Taranee in its path.

"TARANEE LOOK OUT!" shouted Irma's voice before Cornelia could say anything.

Taranee seemed to spot the hand at the last second and she dove backwards avoiding it by a narrow margin. But the construct seemed to have been expecting this. Parts of its hand came free, flying like projectiles after Taranee. The blobs of stone changed shape from simple bricks and wood to small demon-like creatures.

Two of the monsters collided with the Fire Guardian and began to drag her down with their weight. Cornelia watched in horror, and instinctively she began to fly towards Taranee distant form, trying not to lose sight of her.

However, Cornelia needn't have worried about not being able to see Taranee. Blasts of fire lit up the sky as Taranee tried to use her powers to free herself. But the flames had no affect on her stone assailants. Cornelia reached Taranee just as Irma appeared out of the rain and also raced to help.

"Stop struggling!" shouted Cornelia as she pulled at the little monster bouncing up-and-down on Taranee's arm. Irma moved to the one that was hanging off Taranee's leg.

"Let go of our friend you ugly, little…" the monster planted its foot in the side of Irma's face trying to push her away. Irma gave one last tug and the little beast came loose.

Irma moved to help Cornelia remove the other one. With both of them pulling they were able to yank it free. The rock-demon toppled from the sky but the rain had become so heavy now that it vanished only a few meters below.

"Thanks," breathed Taranee. "There's someone controlling them. I felt his mind when his demons took hold of me." Taranee's eyes continued to look around the castle as though she could see him. "And he is… there!" she pointed off to the right of the stone colossus.

"It must be taking a lot of focus to keep that thing standing." Cornelia wondered aloud. "If we can get to him maybe we won't have to take this thing out."

"You're a master of the obvious, as always, Corny," Irma shouted back through the heavy rain. Cornelia narrowed her eyes and Irma smiled mischievously.

"Alright, let's go," commanded Taranee. Without waiting she dove down towards where she had felt the controlling mind. Cornelia and Irma fell in line behind her. But the colossus moved to block their way. The girls veered off, circling around.

"Split up, it can't stop us all_!_" shouted Irma, not bothering with the telepathic link. The three girls broke up heading in four different directions. For a moment this seemed to confuse the stone colossus, but then it did something none of them had expected. Its arms broke away, hovering in the air, but still attached by lightning like blue light.

Free from the body the arms now had an extended reach and moved with blinding speed through the air.

"_Maybe it can stop us!_" Taranee's voice echoed through the link. She spun in the air avoiding the hand that had just tried to capture her. Irma and Cornelia were less lucky as both girls were snatched from the air. The arms raced back and reattached to the body of the colossus.

"_I think we need a new plan!_" cried Irma's voice, panicked. "_One that doesn't involve us getting crushed!_"

"Hey ugly!" shouted Caleb. All heads, even that of the stone giant turned to the sound of the voice, they had all forgotten about him. Caleb was standing at what made up the top of the colossus' head, his sword raised high ready to strike. "Let go of my friends!"

"Now how the heck did he get way up there?" Irma asked herself.

With all his force, Caleb thrust the blade down into the center of the monster's cranium. The monster let out a roar, as a crack opened in its forehead. Blue light exploded out like blood from the wound. The colossus tossed Cornelia back out into the air as it grabbed Caleb instead.

"Caleb!" shouted Cornelia as she recovered from her tumble. Slowly the monster began to squeeze him, its bright blue orb eyes watching him without emotion.

"Stop it!" cried Cornelia as she watched Caleb writhe in agony. But the monster did not stop, it only squeezed harder.

"_Show them your courage, Guardian of Earth,_" whispered a voice in Cornelia's mind. It wasn't Taranee's voice this time, nor was it any of the other girls. Cornelia looked around, trying to find the person that had spoken; everything seemed to be in slow motion.

The voice had come from none of the people around her. It had come from… from inside her. Cornelia's eyes finally fell back on Caleb and she felt her heart beat even faster, like she had two hearts.

With a roar to match that of the sky Cornelia let loose her power. Its energy ripped through her clothing, encasing her body in a sphere of white that made her appear as only a shadowy outline.

Quickly the energy condensed down as if she were a star about to go supernova. With a burst of raw power the sphere of light exploded momentarily pushing away the rain and revealing a significantly changed Cornelia; once more the fully fledged Guardian of Earth.

She was older by a few years. Her blond hair had grown even longer so that it hung down by her knees. Her tattered clothing had been replaced by the dark green and purple of her Guardian outfit. And small fairy wings protruded out of her back.

The monster's intense blue eyes looked at Cornelia, possibly regretting its decision to let her go. It was the last thing it ever did. With all her power Cornelia pulled the monster apart, starting at the crack Caleb had created. With a thunderous boom, the head of the colossus tore open. The rest of its body followed suit and the monster tumbled down in a rush of rubble, releasing the captive water guardian and Caleb.

Irma flew to safety out of the path of the falling stones, but Cornelia dove into the avalanche.

"Cornelia!" Irma shouted as the Guardian of Earth vanished into the falling stone. But Cornelia was only hidden for a moment. She flew out again just as quickly, carrying Caleb in her arms. He dangled below her, sword still in hand.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The girls landed on the ground, Cornelia set Caleb down, before landing herself. Hay Lin looked exhausted and Taranee was a little unstable on her feet but otherwise they seemed to be unharmed.

"That's totally not fair!" Irma complained as she marched towards Cornelia. "Everyone except me gets their powers back! Why am I last?"

"It isn't about who's first," said Taranee calmly. Irma rolled her eyes.

"Easy for you to say, you _were_ first!" said Irma discontentedly.

"I'm sure you'll get them back soon," said Cornelia trying to sound supportive. "You just have to find…" her eyes fell on Caleb who looked at her in return during her momentary pause "… the right reason."

"Does anyone else think that was a little too easy?" interrupted Taranee trying to change the subject.

"Speak for yourselves," Hay Lin said exasperated. "Do you have any idea how heavy you all are?" All eyes turned towards her.

"Are you implying that we're all fat, Hay Hey?" asked Irma with a crooked smile.

"What! No… I!" Hay Lin stammered. The girls laughed as Hay Lin turned bright red. But Caleb did not laugh. His face was hardened by a frown as he turned away and marched towards the devastated castle.

"Caleb, wait up!" Cornelia said breaking away from the group and taking a few quick steps to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"

He didn't even look at Cornelia as he spoke in a harsh, irritated, voice. "To save Elyon. That thing was just meant to slow us down."

* * *

End of Part 3: To Be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Up first, reviewers… OMG THANK YOU! Seriously. For both taking the time to read and leave me a bit of encouragement. I know I don't say it often enough but I really do look forward to every review that comes in. They always make my day a little brighter (something I really need this week). So without any further rambling THANK YOU REVIEWERS: **XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, lost prince, Darev, Powerloth, Dai Makai, DayDreamer9 **and** 2ndChild.

**Readers, I haven't forgotten you either. THANK YOU for reading along. I know not everyone likes to leave reviews, every chapter or at all, and that's fine. It still makes me smile to see you still reading, and I'll just assume you are enjoying the story and write my own reviews from you in my head…**

**Anyhow… rambling aside and a little less crazy…**

**I haven't played the game this chapter was inspired by (Shadow of the Colossus for the PS2) in a while… But I'm eyeing it right now and I think after this is posted I am going to play it some more… So yeah, this was a tiny bit of a crossover between WITCH and Shadow of the Colossus, not really though as it has nothing to do with SotC story.**

**Anyhow… still more rambling aside… and possibly a lot more crazy…**

**So, this battle got rework a couple hundred times. Things keep changing and I keep having to change things to make them work with the things that change, got all that? Good.**

**Anyhow, this is the battle that we have now, I like it, sort of, not as much as I like some of the other stuff, but this one isn't bad either. I need a break, or vacation. Almost there. So close… One more to go.**

**If I can think of any other comments before I post this I'll add them, but I'm just so drained form this week and the prospect of the next chapter which I STILL have to re-write almost in its entirety… sigh…**

**Anyhow… you know… **

**Starwin out.**


	24. E6 P4: Change of Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 6: Allegiances

* * *

Part 4: Change of Heart

* * *

Dark, swirling, storm clouds hid the sky over the city of Meridian. It wasn't even midday, yet it was as dark as a moonless night. Heavy rain crashed down while lightning and thunder danced along the edges of the shapeless black mass in the sky.

Five people dashed through the raindrops, seeking cover from the ice cold water falling down upon them. They were the only people still out in the storm and they were quickly running to the shelter of the nearby castle.

The group clamored across the rubble that had once made up a section of the castle wall. The wall had been torn away, along with the section around it, leaving a huge wound in the castle's structure.

Wind pushed hard against the group of five as they tried desperately to get clear of the storm. One of them held up her hand and with a sound like thunder a crack broke through the air. The rain was pushed back up into the sky, letting the group run the last hundred yards to an archway before the downpour resumed.

"I like water just fine," said the brown haired girl. She shook her wet arms trying to toss away some of the freezing cold water. "But seriously, there is something… wrong with this storm."

"I don't often say this," said the blond standing opposite Irma. She was dressed in the outfit of a guardian and was hugging herself for warmth. "But I think Irma is right…"

"Thanks Corny," Irma replied.

"It's a lot like the storm back in Heatherfield," continued Cornelia, ignoring Irma's comment. "I can't remember it clearly but I know that storm felt different too, like this one."

Heat suddenly washed over all of them, chasing away the cold and quickly drying their soaking clothing. A girl with dark skinned and glasses held a ball of fire in her hands. She let its heat warm the others.

"Ooooohhhh, that feels so good, thanks Taranee," said a small Asian girl. Her skin was an even paler white than normal owing to the cold outside, although a bit of color had started to come back in her cheeks.

"Well, you did look like you were freezing Hay Lin," smiled Taranee. Hay Lin held her hands out toward the ball of fire and closed her eyes contentedly.

"We should keep moving," all the heads of the girls turned to face the last member of their group. A boy with brown hair, dressed in a long brown coat. He was already inside the castle and was motioning for the other to follow.

"Of course we should, Caleb," said Irma sarcastically, "heaven forbid we have any time to take a second to catch our breath before we go off to fight the next battle."

Caleb did not answer. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and walked off, expecting the girls to follow after him.

"I swear," said Irma under her breath as she and the others started walking after Caleb. "He has no sense of humor what-so-ever."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Irma and her friends were deep inside the Castle of Shining Light, although at the moment such a name seemed inappropriate to the place. The castle was dark as night, the only light came from the torches on the wall. Nothing could bee seen outside the large windows that lined the corridor. And a cold, abandon, feeling lingered in the hallways.

Caleb was leading the way towards where he thought Elyon might be. And all of the castle was empty and silent, save for the sound of their own footsteps.

The group walked closely together, their eyes flicking to every shadow that danced across the floor in the torch light. Their ears listened intently for any sound that there were other people around.

"You know, this place is actually really creepy when it's empty," whispered Irma, making the others jump. Her words echoed down the hallways.

"It isn't empty," said Caleb quietly, not looking back over his shoulder. Irma stuck out her tongue at him. "Serenity and Will are here and they have my Queen."

"Wait, Will's here?" asked Hay Lin. "You didn't say she was here too!"

"She's helping Serenity for some reason," answered Caleb. "Maybe she is under a spell or something because… she seemed so different."

"It's Serenity's doing," whispered Cornelia. "She changed things somehow, made them different than how they used to be. But I think she only did it in our heads." Irma and Hay Lin looked back at Cornelia like she was crazy.

"When I changed into a Guardian…" continued Cornelia.

"Oh rub it in why don't you," mumbled Irma under her breath.

"…some of my real memories came back," Cornelia ignored Irma's comment. "But even before that I was questioning if those memories were real or not. I think… I think Serenity has the power to change memories or something…"

"Maybe that's what she did to Will!" shouted Hay Lin excitedly. Everyone shushed her. "Sorry," Hay Lin whispered apologetically.

"Maybe," said Caleb. "I got a really bad feeling from her last time we met face to face. Almost like she was… missing…" the talk died into an awkward silence.

"Is anyone else wondering where all the guards are?" asked Taranee.

"Yeah, I was just wondering about that too," replied Cornelia as she glanced around the vacant hallways.

"Shusss!" hissed Caleb as he came to an abrupt stop, throwing out his hands to halt their progress.

"Don't shush me," replied Cornelia sounding irritated.

"Quick, this way!" said Caleb pointing down a passage to their left. The girls didn't argue and followed Caleb as he moved quickly. He stopped suddenly again, his face tense as he looked down the passageway.

Caleb looked around, trying to keep his calm. He quickly spotted what he was seeking. He moved to a small nearby door, pulled it open than motioned for the girls to get inside. The girls gathered around looking disdainfully at where Caleb was indicating. The small door led to an incredibly tiny closet, filled with mops and brooms.

"You're kidding… right?" asked Irma, raising an eyebrow. Without answering Caleb shoved her and the other Guardians into the broom closet and wrestled the door closed. They were instantly engulfed in darkness.

"Ouch that's my foot!" hissed Cornelia as the girls jostled for position.

"Hey! Whose hand is that?" asked Hay Lin indignantly.

"Hehe, sorry that's me," giggled Irma.

"Quite!" whispered Caleb harshly. The moment the girls became silent the sound of armored footsteps could be heard. Caleb pressed his head against he door.

"But they're the castle guards!" whispered Cornelia, her tone irritated. "Aren't they on our side? Why are we hiding from them?"

"Trust me," said Caleb. "If Serenity got to Elyon, then the guards are looking for us! Why else would they be freely patrolling the castle?"

For a tense moment the crash of armored footsteps lingered in front of the hiding spot. But the march did not pause and just as quickly as they had come the sounds began to become distant.

Caleb waited a moment before opening the door a crack to see if the coast was clear. Or, at least, he had intended to open it only a crack. Both Cornelia and Irma had been leaning against the door. The moment Caleb turned the handle both girls lost their balance.

With a horrendous crash the group tumbled out of the closet, landing in a mess of arms and legs atop Caleb.

"It came from back this way!" shouted a gruff voice. The thunder of metal footsteps changed direction and speed, coming quickly back towards the girls and Caleb.

"Nice work," growled Caleb as he struggled out from under the girls. He got to his feet quickly and drew his sword. Caleb held the blade in the direction of the guards. "I'll hold them off. You find Elyon and save her!"

"The hell we will!" shouted Cornelia as she marched up next to Caleb, her features filled with rage. Caleb looked a little shocked "We aren't going to leave you here alone!"

"I have a better chance of fighting them on my own!" said Caleb, letting down his guard and turning to argue with Cornelia.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" shouted Cornelia her face turning red with anger. "Do you think that, just because I'm a girl, I don't know how to fight? Well you listen here mister—I'm a Guardian of Kandrakar! I know how to defend myself! I just saved you from that big-stone-castle-monster-thingy we fought outside."

"What!" said Caleb, surprised and angry. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! It has nothing to do with…"

"Uh guys," tried Hay Lin.

"WHAT!" shouted both Cornelia and Caleb as they turned frightening glares on the young Asian girl, making her shrink away in fear.

"I think there's something more important you should be doing," said Hay Lin shyly as she pointed past Caleb and Cornelia. A patrol of heavily armored guards now crowded the hallway in front of them.

The small army was bristling with deadly weapons of all shapes and sizes, from huge battle axes to thick war blades. They were clad in protective armor from head to foot so that only the most menacing parts of them poked through. They growled and moved as if they were one giant mass of living weapons.

Hardly even looking at them Cornelia flicked her wrist and brought a slab of floor and ceiling together, trapping the guards on the other side.

"See, dealt with!" said Cornelia turning her back to the sealed army and letting out a casual smile of triumph as she waved off the trivial victory. Irma rolled her eyes and was about to make a snide comment, but Caleb beat her to it.

"Good job miss-high-and-mighty-mistress-of-the-earth," Caleb retorted annoyed. "But I could have taken them without your help!"

"Really?" said Cornelia in a falsely sweet voice. She glanced back over her shoulder at Caleb giving him a smile that made him shiver. With a snap of her fingers the barrier pulled away. The angry guards readied their weapons again as they moved towards Caleb threateningly. "Have fun then!"

"Oh we don't have time for this!" said Taranee at last. She held up a hand creating a huge ball of fire. The guards stopped in their tracks at the sight of the enraged Fire Guardian. Taranee released the ball of fire and the guards turned tail, dropping their weapons and running away as fast as they could.

The flames pursued them, moving just fast enough to keep them running, but not fast enough to actually catch them.

"Can we get on with it then?" Irma asked holding out her hands as if to say, after you. With a 'Humph' Cornelia stuck her nose in the air and turned away from Caleb again, walking off in the lead. Irma's features visibly sagged. "Oh yeah, this is going to be lot's of fun," Irma mumbled under her breath.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Cornelia led the group onwards, while Caleb lagged a few meters behind. He seemed to want to be as far away from Cornelia as possible. Irma was just about to comment that Cornelia probably had no idea where she was going when the hallway suddenly ended in two, very large, doors.

"This is it!" said Caleb as he pushed his way to the front of the group. "If they are anywhere in the castle it would be here: The throne room." Caleb pushed the large doors open with all his might. Before the doors had even opened fully Caleb had his sword drawn, ready to face what was on the other side.

But apart from the lonely throne that sat under the huge windows at the far end of the room, this place too was empty.

"Okay, so, they're not in the obvious place." said Irma as she moved between Cornelia and Caleb, defusing the situation she could see building on both their faces. "Where else can we check?"

Caleb shook his head as he walked into the room and looked around as though expecting to see something he had missed.

"You don't need to check anywhere else, Guardians," came a calm voice that echoed through the room. Caleb readied his sword once more and the girls moved forward, taking defensive positions. A swirling mass of darkness boiled out of the air in front of the throne. Four people, clad in silver armor stepped through.

"Your journey ends here," said the largest of the boys.

The guardians moved closer together, forming a defensive semi-circle around Caleb.

"You might have gotten the drop on us last time," shouted Irma jeeringly. "But incase you can't count, there are five of us, and only four of you."

One of the boys laughed. Irma was sure she'd heard that annoying laugh some place before.

"It's you that can't count, stupid!" shouted the tallest of the group. The other boy's looked at him and the lead Dragon Knight just shook his head, as if he couldn't believe his comrade had actually said what he had just said.

"It isn't five against four," said the lead boy. "It's seven against three. Neither you, nor that boy have any powers. Us on the other hand…" The Dragon Knight spread his arms wide and a huge cloud of evil black mist spread out causing all the torches to extinguish. The large chamber was engulfed in semi-darkness. The sound of the storm beating down outside became even louder and a flash of lighting streaked across the tall windows.

"What do you think he meant by seven?" asked Hay Lin as she counted the four boys standing before them.

"I'm going to guess he means the three people behind us," said Caleb calmly. All of the girls turned their heads at once. Serenity, Will and Elyon stood blocking the path they had just come from. Elyon's eyes were empty and her expression vacant.

"I vote for retreat," whispered Irma out of the side of her mouth.

"There is no retreat, Water Guardian," said Serenity. The girls reformed so that all their backs were pressed against each other, so they could face all the enemies. "This shall be you're final stand. If you return the Heart, I will let all of you go, unharmed."

"What about Will," said Cornelia, her face tight with anger as her eyes flicked to the redhead who looked away from Cornelia's gaze. "Release your spell on her too!"

"There is no spell, Cornelia," said Will. Not looking at her former friend. "I finally know the truth…. Please, just give me back the Heart…"

"Sorry Will," said Taranee, looking over her shoulder as she held her defensive position. "But you know we can't do that. You aren't yourself." Will's face twitched but she didn't respond.

"If you will not surrender, then we will take it from you by force," said Serenity.

"You can't take it by force!" said Hay Lin. "The Heart has to be given!"

"And I didn't give it away!" shouted Will angrily. "It was taken from me, so it's still mine!" There were angry tears running down her face now.

"Attack," commanded Serenity. With a war cry the Dragon Knights rushed towards the Guardians.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Cornelia was the first to react. She slammed her fist into the ground causing a shockwave to ripple outwards from around their protective circle. Three of the Dragon Knights jumped into the air, their large leather wings expanding outwards and keeping them aloft.

However, the fourth was too slow and the shockwave crashed into him knocking him off his feet and flinging him into a stone pillar. He did not stand back up.

"I'll get Elyon!" Caleb shouted as he broke away from the group.

"I'm going with him," Irma said and she too moved out of the circle, running off after Caleb.

"NO!" shouted Taranee, but neither Irma nor Caleb were listening. "We have to stick together! Damn it!" she cursed as she turned back towards the three attackers flying towards them. With a wave of her hand she let lose a blade of fire at one of the air born Dragon Knights, he circled away, dodging the attack.

"So what's the plan?" asked Hay Lin as she sent a blast of air that pushed another Dragon Knight off course.

"That one is mine," snarled Cornelia nodding towards the largest Dragon Knight. With a fearsome leap—that cracked the ground beneath her feet—Cornelia was airborne and speeding towards the Dragon Knight she had indicated.

"So much for sticking together," Taranee mumbled. "Hay Lin, you take the small one over there, and I'll deal with that one."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The blond haired girl sped towards Hayden, her fists glowing with her elemental power. Dark, negative energy rolled down Hayden's arms. The Earth Guardian could, quite literally, throw all she had at him and he would stop it.

Cornelia let loose a roar as she pulled out a chunk of the ceiling and sent it hurtling at Hayden. The massive stone tumbled through the air at blistering speed. Hayden pointed his hands at the stone and let his death-magic lash out at the bolder racing towards him.

The black tendrils tore the rock apart, turning it to nothing more than dust. But Hayden felt his eyes go wide. The rock had not been the attack, it had been the diversion.

The Earth Guardian had used it as a shield and she was now only a few feet away, her fist pulled back ready to strike. Fragments of stone gathered around Cornelia's hand until it was encased in a gauntlet of rock. Then, with all her might Cornelia punched Hayden as hard as she could in the face, causing his silver mask to crack and sending the Dragon Knight tumbling through the air.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Alex watched as the Guardian of Air raced at him but Alex simply hovered in place. There was no need to make this quick, he would let her come to him. After all, she looked so delicate. It probably wouldn't be much of a fight. He wondered how many punches she would be able to take before she died.

The unsuspecting Guardian got closer and closer. Alex clenched his fist, ready to strike and end the battle with just one punch. Except, suddenly, the Guardian of Air vanished!

Alex looked around confused. Had she teleported? Did she have the power to move just as fast as he did?

A sound from above his head drew Alex's attention upwards. The Guardian of Air had gotten above him somehow! Even with his speed Alex couldn't dodge the torrent of air that pushed him downwards with such force that he crashed into the ground.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Out of the corner of her eyes Taranee could see both Cornelia and Hay Lin raced towards their opponents. She didn't like the idea of splitting up but she knew both Hay Lin and Cornelia could handle themselves. She was a lot more worried about Caleb and Irma.

But she couldn't think about them now, she had to focus on the threat in front of her. On the Dragon Knight that was, unlike the other two, flying away from her. Taranee came to a stop, she wouldn't be able to chase him down in the air. Not that she needed to, she would let her magic do that.

Taranee pressed her fingers together and pointed at the fleeing Dragon Knight like she was holding some invisible gun. Fire erupted from her finger tips quickly closing the distance.

But before the fire could strike, a whirling vortex of darkness, like the one the Dragon Knights had first emerge from, swirled into existence. The Dragon Knight raced into it without hesitation and the fire followed after him, vanishing completely.

Hay Lin let out a cry of surprise. Taranee turned her head just in time to see Hay Lin dodge the blast of fire. Hay Lin looked accusatorially at Taranee.

'Sorry,' Taranee mouthed. But, Hay Lin never had a chance to respond. A sudden blur raced up from underneath Hay Lin and struck her with incredible force, carrying her up into the ceiling.

Taranee was just about to fly to Hay Lin's aid but a second portal of darkness opened between Taranee and Hay Lin. The Dragon Knight Taranee had been chasing floated out. He pointed his hands at Taranee.

"I wonder if you are afraid of the darkness?" asked the Dragon Knight. Shadows raced out from his hands striking Taranee in the face. All she could do was scream.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Caleb's sword struck an invisible barrier as he tried to bring it down on Serenity. He struck again and again, but it was no good. Caleb punched the wall of magic with his fist. Powerful white lines of magic shimmered in the air.

Serenity continued to gaze past Caleb and Irma, as though she couldn't be bothered with their presence. Elyon continued to stare blankly out into the battlefield, not even seeing them. And Will continued to look away, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"Fight me coward!" Caleb shouted, giving the barrier one final defiant kick. This taunt seemed to at last bring Serenity's attention to Caleb.

"Are you sure you want to fight?" asked Serenity, a cruel smile spreading across her features. "I could wipe you away with little more than a thought. But…" Serenity's eyes turned to Will, who looked up at her before looking away quickly.

"Will!" Irma shouted, pressing her hands against the barrier. If Caleb couldn't get through to fight Serenity maybe Irma could get through to Will. "Will you have to stop this! We're your friends! Whatever Serenity has promised you, whatever lie she told you…"

Will's eyes suddenly snapped up to Irma. "Lie?" said Will softly, her voice dangerous. Caleb could see something in Will's eyes that he had never seen before. Irma must have seen it too for she backed away a few steps looking distressed. "What do you know about me? Everything I was—was a lie… They aren't my friends… you aren't my friend…"

Irma shook her head not understanding. "Will, I… I don't know what happened to you… but… but I know you helped save Meridian. I know that is no lie! I know our friendship is no lie!" shouted Irma. "And I know that my feelings for you are no lie!

"You're memory went away from me but your feeling didn't," continued Irma, her voice slowly getting steadier as she poured her heart out. Will's eyes darted back and forth as she looked at the ground, considering Irma's words. "I felt you, Will, back in Heatherfield. You wanted to wash away the pain so I made the sky cry for you…"

"Be silent," hissed Serenity.

"She is the lie!" shouted Irma, ignoring Serenity's threat. "She is the one who has turned you against your friends, who has taken away who you are!"

"No, no, no!" said Will clamping her hands over her ears and shaking her head. "I don't want to remember that life! It isn't my life!"

"Enough," said Serenity her voice echoing around the room in anger. Caleb made ready his sword. "You want a fight, than I shall give you one." Serenity looked at Elyon. The vacant eyed queen let the protective barrier of magic drop. Caleb did not waste even a moment, he lunged at Serenity with all his might.

But his attack never reached its target. Another blade, made of pure white energy, blocked Caleb's; a blade held by Elyon. Caleb backed away and Elyon stepped between him and Serenity, her unblinking eyes watching Caleb without seeing him.

"I won't fight Elyon," said Caleb taking another step back and shaking his head.

"Than you will die quickly," said Serenity. With blinding speed Elyon rushed at Caleb, her blade pointed at his heart. "And you," Serenity looked at Irma, "Will die slowly…" Serenity pointed her hand at Irma.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Cornelia struck Hayden again and again. Futilely he tried to summon up his magic to stop her, but it was no good. Hayden had to concentrate for his magic to work properly and with Cornelia's constant assault all Hayden could do was retreat.

At last Hayden abandon his attempt to use his magic and resorted to what he used to be best at, physical violence. When Cornelia swung again Hayden caught her arm and struck back, hitting Cornelia in the stomach. The girl gasped in pain, but Hayden hit her again, just as hard.

Hayden lifted his fist, his death-magic wrapping around his hand. Cornelia watched with eyes that were filled with anger, instead of fear. But Hayden did not strike. In his moment of indecision Cornelia took the only option left to her and kicked Hayden, between his legs, as hard as she could.

With a grunt the death-magic at Hayden's hand extinguished and he let Cornelia go. The Earth Guardian flew away as Hayden drifted slowly to the ground.

Cornelia turned her attention to Taranee and Hay Lin. Hay Lin was locked in combat; tumbling through the air with the Dragon Knight in close pursuit. The boy might be very fast but Hay Lin was unmatched in her flying abilities.

Taranee on the other hand was not fairing so well. She was groping blindly at the air while the Dragon Knight in front of her simply laughed.

Anger overtook Cornelia's features. She scoured the ground, quickly finding what she was seeking—four potted plants that sat along the back as decoration. Reaching out with her magic Cornelia commanded the plants to grow.

The pots shattered as roots exploded out of them. Dante had only a moments warning before the earthen vines wrapped around him. He struggled, but it was no good, the roots pulled him to the ground and bound him tightly.

Cornelia rushed to Taranee's aid, taking hold of Taranee as she reached her.

"Let go of me!" Taranee's shouted, trying to fend Cornelia off.

"Taranee! It's me!" Cornelia shouted as she avoided Taranee's desperate strikes. Taranee turned her head to look at her friend, except, she couldn't see Cornelia. Taranee's eyes had been filled with murky shadows.

"Cornelia, I can't see," said Taranee desperately. Cornelia continued to hold on to her friend reassuringly.

"Then I need you to trust me," said Cornelia as she took hold of Taranee's wrist. Taranee nodded. Cornelia moved around behind Taranee, as if Cornelia were some kind of baseball batting coach. Looking over Taranee's shoulder Cornelia guided the Fire Guardian's hand

"When I say fire, I want you to shoot everything you have, alright?" Cornelia said into Taranee's ear. She guided her friends hand in the direction of the Dragon Knight engaged with Hay Lin. Taranee nodded again.

Cornelia watched as the battle between Hay Lin and the last Dragon Knight continued. They were simply too close together, darting in and out around each other.

"Come on Hay Lin," whispered Cornelia to herself. "Get clear, get clear…" Hay Lin's eyes suddenly flicked to Cornelia.

"_FIRE,_" Hay Lin's voice echoed in both Cornelia and Taranee's head. Fire erupted from Taranee's hand and raced towards both Alex and Hay Lin still locked in combat.

"No!" cried Cornelia. The attack had been too soon, Hay Lin was too close she could never get clear of the Dragon Knight in… Cornelia's thoughts came to a crashing halt as Hay Lin suddenly vanished and the Dragon Knight that had been chasing her suddenly came to a stop, right in the path of the fire blast.

Alex didn't even turn around as the blast of fire crashed into his back. He toppled from the air, trails of smoke lingering behind him as he glided roughly to the ground before crashing.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Will… please…" Irma pleaded, tears welling at the sides of her eyes. Will's eyes flicked away from Irma.

"She doesn't want anything to do with you," said Serenity coldly. "You were just a lie, created by a heartless old man."

"I am not a lie!" shouted Irma. "The way I feel is…" Irma looked at Will, though the redhead did not return her gaze. "Will… I might have forgotten you, but I… I love you." Will's eyes snapped up to Irma.

"_Love conquers all, guardian of water. Show Will you love her,"_ whispered a voice in Irma's head, Will's voice. Will's voice that had not come from Will.

Irma and Will stared at each other, both looked surprised.

"That… that was your voice in my head… But you heard it too, didn't you?" asked Irma. Absently she placed her hand over her heart. "And it's your heart that beats in my chest…" A dim aura began to glow around Irma.

Serenity's glare hardened and she let loose the blast of power targeted at Irma. The bolt of energy bent as it approached Irma, arching around her and crashing into the ground behind her.

"Will, she is going to transform, stop her!" Serenity commanded. Will looked between Irma and Serenity distressed, unable to make up her mind. She had heard the voice that Irma had heard. Her own voice telling her… telling her…

"Will!" Serenity shouted as the light around Irma became more intense.

Will lifted her hand, pointing it at Irma almost unable to see her through the tears. "I'm sorry," Will whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

A blast of lightning jumped from Will's hand striking Irma in mid transformation. The walnut haired girl was lifted off her feet before crashing down to the stone floor and sliding across it.

The transformation energy dissipated and Irma lay limply in her tattered clothing.

"IRMA!" shouted Caleb. He had just witnessed the horrible action and his eyes flicked to the body of the motionless water guardian.

Elyon seized Caleb's momentary laps in concentration. Her energy blade knocked Caleb's sword from his hand before slashing him across the face. With a howl of pain Caleb collapsed backward, both hand clutching the right side of his face. Elyon put the blade at his throat, tears were streaming from her vacant eyes.

Serenity's attention returned to the other Guardians and her Dragon Knights, or rather what was left of her Dragon Knights. Her eyes scanned across the boys who lay on the floor, defeated.

"GUARDIANS!" shouted Serenity, her voice magically enhanced. "If you do not wish another of your ranks to fall then you will surrender." The girls turned to see the horror behind them.

"Irma, NO!" Hay Lin shouted, her invisibility spell dropping. She darted across the room landing at Irma's side. "No, no, no…" Hay Lin sobbed.

Cornelia helped to guide Taranee to the ground. There was a look of utter hatred on Cornelia's face as she stared down Serenity.

"How many more have to die?" asked Serenity. "How many lives do you want to sacrifice in your vein attempt to stop us?"

"We haven't killed anyone!" shouted Cornelia. "How many more do you want to murder in your insane pursuit for power?" Serenity's expression darkened.

"As many as it takes," replied the silver haired girl. Her eyes fell on Elyon. The vacant eyed girl lifted the blade of light above her head, ready to deliver the killing blow to Caleb.

"Wait!" shouted Cornelia. Elyon did not lower the weapon, but she did not strike either. "If we give you the Heart will you let everyone go?" Serenity seemed to contemplate this for a long moment.

"Yes," Serenity said at last. "But you shall return the Heart to Will. It's hers, not mine."

"_Cornelia, what are you doing?_" Taranee thought, using their telepathic link.

"What we have to do," answered Cornelia. The blond haired Guardian held her hands in front of her chest, feeling out the power inside her. With a gasp a small orb of green light floated out of Cornelia's chest.

The orb pulled its power along with it and Cornelia's guardian uniform unraveled; the threads forming back into their previous shape. Cornelia became younger and her hair shortened. She was once more just Cornelia, no longer the Guardian of Earth.

There was no other choice. Like Cornelia, Taranee called the essence of fire from her body and she too reverted back into a normal teenager.

Will held out a hand and the gems of Fire and Earth raced to her palm. Hay Lin held Irma desperately in her arms. She hardly even noticed as both her orb and Irma's left their bodies to join with the other two in Will's hand.

The gems merged once more restoring the fragmented Heart of Kandrakar; or rather restoring the pink gem. The metal frame that had always held the Heart at its center had not reformed with the gem. Serenity looked at the gem before her eyes flicked back to Cornelia.

"Very well," said Serenity. "You are all free to go." The energy sword in Elyon's hand vanished, but her eyes remained vacant. "And as for my loyal Dragon Knights," Serenity touched the Soul around her neck, "you are no longer needed." The Dragon Knights let out cries of pain as their powers were ripped from their bodies.

Will lifted the Heart of Kandrakar into the air and she and Serenity vanished.

* * *

End of Episode 6

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**And that's it. We're all done. Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of… Huh? What? What do you mean this isn't the final chapter? Another freaking episode?? OMFG you have to be kidding me! **

**Sigh, okay, fine, I'll do one more, but just because you asked me to. ;D**

**Anyhow… meanness aside…**

**Big thanks to everyone who left a review for last chapter: **XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, DayDreamer9, lost prince, Dai Makai, Powerloth, Sokai and Darev.

**Thank you all my readers who are still reading.**

**I hate this chapter… I really do… It has caused me so much stress. I've written it like 10000000 times, well okay… maybe not that many, but a lot. I am so done with it. **

**I can't really say why it was so difficult for me to work on. But every time I opened the word document to write I would get to the last couple of sections I needed to finish, read the first couple of lines, know what I needed to write, then shut down my computer and go do something else.**

**Anyhow, week break and all that. I seriously need it; hasn't been a pleasant week for me.**

**Starwin out.**


	25. E7 P1: What Nightmares Bring

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story. **

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 7: Eternities End

* * *

Part 1: What Nightmares Bring

* * *

In a flash of light Will and Serenity were gone. The rain that beat against the sides of the castles suddenly stopped and the warmth of the sun rushed in through the windows. But it's bright, cheery, light revealed only hurt and suffering.

Hay Lin was grasping Irma's limp body desperately. Caleb was holding Elyon in his arms, but she just stood there as if she were a sleepwalker, unaware of the world around her. Cornelia watched Elyon and Caleb, her eyes realizing what her brain was still working out. And Taranee stood unmoving next to Cornelia, because she could see nothing.

"Irma! Irma?" cried Hay Lin desperately. There were tears streaming down Hay Lin's face and falling onto Irma. The brown haired girl did not stir. Her face was pale and her body cold.

"Cornelia!" shouted Hay Lin, looking pleadingly at her friend. The blond haired guardian was staring at Caleb, her face filled with sadness as she couldn't help but notice how he was holding Elyon.

"Cornelia!" Hay Lin shouted again. This time Cornelia seemed to hear Hay Lin and her eyes found Irma's motionless form. Taking a deep breath, to give herself strength, Cornelia moved quickly towards her friends, afraid of what she might find.

Cornelia knelt across from Hay Lin and looked down. Irma's eyes were closed and her features were peaceful, as if asleep. With shaking hands, Cornelia touched the side of Irma's neck, feeling for a pulse. Cornelia shook her head sadly.

"Please," Hay Lin whimpered. Cornelia took another deep breath and placed her hands over Irma's heart. Letting her power flow through her hands, Cornelia tried to focus, to bring Irma back. But even as she started, the Earth Guardian could feel that it was no good. That her healing magic was far too little to overcome something like death.

"I can't," said Cornelia, her voice cracking. She shook her head in frustration, her own tears escaping her eyes. "Hay Lin, she's… she's…"

"Dead?" asked a voice the brought both girls' heads up in fear. A boy with black hair that had frosted white tips, stood looking down at the three girls. He was clutching his side as if he was holding closed a wound, although there was no blood.

"Owin? You're a Dragon Knight?" shouted Hay Lin, her face filled with shock and anger.

"Yes," he said after a moment. "I won't blame others for my actions." Cornelia stood suddenly, her fist balled. At full height she was a good six inches taller than Owin.

"If it's a fight you want, than I am more than happy to give you one!" shouted Cornelia, angrily. Owin looked at her and shook his head.

"No, I came to help," said Owin, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Yeah, like we would let you near her!" Cornelia shouted.

"What do you have to lose? Every moment you waste the further she slips away." His eyes locked on Cornelia as though willing her to read his thoughts. "I might be able to help, but you have to let me."

Cornelia shook her head in disgust.

"Can you really help Irma?" Hay Lin asked quietly. Owin's eyes flicked to the small girl still clutching her friend tightly.

"I don't know," said Owin honestly. Hay Lin nodded and Cornelia moved aside, letting Owin kneel down next to Irma's head. Cornelia moved back to Irma's side, her eyes locked on Owin as he gently touched Irma's forehead and closed his own eyes. His face strained as a faint glow of magic shimmered around his hands. Owin shook his head after a moment.

"She is gone," said Owin sadly. "My magic isn't powerful enough to bring her back…"

"…ybe…" Cornelia said, her mouth dry. "Maybe," she said again, "if we try together." She looked Owin seriously in the eyes. Owin nodded. He placed his hands back on Irma's forehead, and Cornelia placed her hand over Irma's heart. Both healers let their magic flow into Irma.

It was the strangest sensation Cornelia had ever felt. She could feel Owin's magic mixing with her own, changing her own. She couldn't properly describe it, having no basis for reference, but it was like her magic has somehow become whole, as it had never been before.

A sharp pain suddenly burned at the edge of Cornelia's heart and both she and Owin let out a gasp of agony. Hay Lin watched in awe as ribbons of magic flowed from both Owin and Cornelia's chests, streaming down into Irma. It looked like both of them were quite literally pouring out their hearts.

Cornelia collapsed forward on to Irma as the healing magic faded away. Owin lost his balance and crumpled sideways to the ground.

"Cornelia!" Hay Lin shouted as she touched her friend. Cornelia's body was ice cold and her breathing was ragged. But in a moment Cornelia recovered, and she lifted herself off of Irma.

"Did it work?" Cornelia asked, her eyes falling on the deathly pale water guardian. Irma's head hung limply to the side and her eyes were still closed. Hay Lin felt for a pulse on Irma's wrist. With each passing second her face fell more and more. Her tears started again as she shook her head slightly, her eyes still locked on Irma as though trying to will her to wake.

Suddenly, Irma took a deep breath. Her body shuddered in Hay Lin's arms. Irma's eyes did not open and she did not wake, but her breathing continued. Hay Lin tried to speak but her voice would not work, she just continued to hold Irma.

"Cornelia," cried Caleb. Cornelia's eyes moved back to Caleb and Elyon. "Help me, please…"

Hay Lin stayed at Irma's side, unwilling to let go of her friend. Cornelia wanted to stay too, she wasn't sure her magic had worked properly and she really wanted to make sure Irma was ok. But Elyon needed her help now and she would do all she could, even if her ordeal with Irma had weakened her greatly.

Cornelia staggered towards Elyon. The room seemed to lurch this way and that with each step. Moving on willpower alone, the blond haired guardian of the earth finally made it.

Cornelia let out a gasp. The energy sword had cut a horrible, jagged scar, into the left side of Caleb's face. It stretched across his left eye, from temple to jaw.

Caleb looked pleadingly at Cornelia with his one good eye. Instinctively, Cornelia extended a hand towards Caleb, but he stopped her hand.

"I'll be fine," said Caleb, his voice a forced calm. "Elyon needs your healing magic more than me right now." Caleb held Cornelia's hand a moment longer before letting it go as she nodded slowly.

Her hand shaking Cornelia touched the side of Elyon's face. She was trying to find her healing magic, trying not to think about Caleb. Trying not to think about him and Elyon. Trying not to think about…

Cornelia suddenly pulled away. Elyon remained impassive, her eyes still vacant.

"What's wrong?" Caleb asked desperately. His false calm vanished at look on Cornelia's face.

"It's gone," said Cornelia as she looked down at her hand. "My… my power is gone…"

"Maybe you're just tired from healing Irma. Or…" Caleb began but Cornelia cut him off with a shake of her head.

"No, this is different. It's gone completely," said Cornelia. "Even when I lost my powers in Heatherfield I could still feel them, buried and weak, but still there. This time… My healing magic is completely gone…" Cornelia looked at Elyon with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

"I don't think you would have been able to heal her anyway," said a voice that made both Cornelia and Caleb jump. Taranee was walking slowly towards them, the white's of her eyes had turned murky black. She held her hands out in front of her as though feeling her way through the air.

Cornelia moved to Taranee and took her hand before asking her, "What do you mean?"

"This isn't something that can be healed," said Taranee. "At least not like a cut or a wound. I can hear Elyon faintly. She is trapped inside herself. Trapped inside her own mind."

"And you think you can free her?" Caleb asked. Taranee shrugged uncertainly.

"I can try," said Taranee. "But this won't be as simple as telepathy. I'm going to have to try something I've never done before." Even though she could not see she still closed her eyes. Her face tensed with concentration. "I'm going to try to enter Elyon's mind."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Bright light pressed against Taranee's eyes, washing away the blindness. Of course, these weren't her real eyes, but her mind's eyes. Taranee blinked, trying to adjust to being able to see once more. Even if this world was a mental projection it still felt very real and she had to be careful.

She was attempting something very dangerous, entering another person's mind. She had only ever used a small fraction of the telepathic powers before, usually just to communicate with the other guardians but, it went far deeper than that.

Sometimes she could hear other people's thoughts, even when she wasn't trying. She had even once left her own body, though at the time, she had dismissed it as a dream. And she had even once ended up in someone else's dream—Will's dream—the world of white…

Taranee regained her concentration. A thick fog pressed in on her, letting Taranee see only a tiny portion of where she was. There was some kind of grass beneath her feet and not much else. She looked around, trying to decide which way she should go and where she would find Elyon.

Distant whispers echoed in the fog and Taranee was sure one of the voices was Elyon's. Taranee turned towards the voices and started to follow them. The air was cold and the fog was damp. Taranee kept trying to tell herself that none of this was real, but she wasn't sure she believed herself.

Suddenly something darted through the fog ahead of Taranee, causing her to let out a cry of surprise. She came to a stop, bringing her hands up to her chest. She could feel panic rushing through her body.

"He-hello?" Taranee whispered. "Is anyone there?"

"Ah, if it isn't my least favorite guardian," said a snake like hiss that sent a shiver down Taranee's spine. She knew that voice, she knew what wretched tongue spoke those words.

Taranee spun around, her fears confirmed as her eyes fell on…

"Phobos!" Taranee squeaked. A malicious smile spread across his face. "But you can't… how…"

"As much as I would love to catch up with you, I have more pressing business," Phobos said as he lifted his hand above Taranee's head. Dark energy swirled down his fingers and lashed out, striking Taranee directly in the face.

Taranee let out a horrible scream. He was burning her alive! Taranee felt someone pulling at her arm. Someone incredibly distant and in the back of her mind she knew it was Cornelia trying to wake her. But no matter how much Taranee wanted to leave she could not.

"Yes, scream for me," whispered Phobos. "It is the least you can do after what you did to me."

"You leave her alone!" roared Elyon. Phobo's attack suddenly stopped and Taranee collapsed to her knees. The fog unexpectedly blew away and Elyon floated in the air beyond Taranee, her body glowing with power. "It's me you want, brother. I won't hide from you any longer."

"Good, at last," hissed Phobos. He lifted his hand and let loose his energy at his sister. Elyon sent her own magic back at Phobos. The two beams of energy collided, pushing at one another, battling against each other.

"Taranee, run, get out of here!" Elyon shouted. For a very brief moment Taranee considered doing just that. But she held her ground.

"No," said Taranee. "Elyon I came to save you and that's what I'm going to do!" Taranee let loose a blast of fire that struck Phobos in the chest. With a scream Phobos shattered into a million tiny shards.

Elyon floated down next to Taranee.

"You shouldn't have come," said Elyon as she helped Taranee to her feet, there was concern on Elyon's face.

"I was willing to take the risk to help you," said Taranee. Elyon shook her head.

"Oh sister, where are you?" whispered a distant voice. Both Taranee and Elyon looked up in surprise as Phobos reformed out of the air. With a wave of her hand Elyon brought back the fog, hiding them from Phobos' piercing eyes.

"But, how?" asked Taranee.

"He is a memory," said Elyon as she pulled Taranee along behind her, "a nightmare really. One I can't lock away or forget. Serenity set him free and I've been fighting against him ever since. It doesn't matter how many time I beat him, he keeps coming back.

"I can't keep us both hidden. You have to leave," said Elyon seriously, as she brought Taranee to a stop and turned to face her.

"And what about you, you're just going to keep on fighting him?" asked Taranee. "Together we at least have…"

"You don't understand," said Elyon. "_He _is part of _me_. I can't kill him. But I can get him back under control… I think."

"And I can help you do that!" Taranee pleaded. Elyon shook her head.

"I don't think you can. Besides, you have someone else to help." Elyon held out her hand and Taranee felt the tingle of magic around her. Although nothing happened in the dream world, Taranee felt like something in the real world had changed. "You have someone else to save." Elyon rested her hand on Taranee's shoulder and smiled at her.

"But, there is something very important that you can do for me," said Elyon. "I need you to tell Cornelia something. I need you to promise me you'll tell her." Taranee nodded. "Tell her…"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee opened her eyes and blackness greeted her. She was back in the real world and still unable to see. There was a strange humming sound that had not been there before and she couldn't place what it was, but she had heard it before.

"Taranee!" Cornelia cried. Taranee felt arms wrap around her in a hug. "Are you alright, you were screaming so loudly, I thought... I thought…"

"I'm fine," said Taranee, her voice uneven as she thought about Elyon's last words to her. How could she possibly tell Cornelia that?

"What about Elyon?" asked Caleb. Taranee took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I couldn't help her," said Taranee, not wanting to elaborate on what she had seen. There was no reason to make everyone more worried than they already were. "But I think she will be ok. And what is that sound?"

"It's a fold," said Hay Lin. Taranee turned her head in the direction of the sound, but could not see her. "To Heatherfield, I think. Elyon made it."

"What good does going to Heatherfield do us?" asked Taranee.

"Because from Heatherfield," answered an unfamiliar voice. "We can get to Rakadin."

"Why would we want to go there!" shouted Hay Lin. There was a rustle of movement. Taranee could feel the presence of other minds near by, the Dragon Knights. If they intended to attack, Taranee doubted that the guardians would be much of a fight. But their thoughts didn't seem hostile… at least not the one that had spoken.

"Rakadin and Kandrakar are connected.," continued the Dragon Knight. "If there is any chance of getting to Kandrakar and stopping Serenity, then that chance is through Rakadin."

"And we are just supposed to trust you?" Hay Lin asked.

"Serenity manipulated us, just like she is doing to Will," said another one of the Dragon Knights. Taranee couldn't place it but she felt something as he spoke, he wasn't being completely honest. She didn't trust his words, or the words of any of the other Dragon Knights.

"Ok," said Cornelia. Taranee's eyes widened in surprise as she looked in the direction of her friend, unable to see her.

"_Cornelia, what are you doing?_" thought Hay Lin, using their telepathic link. To Taranee, Hay Lin's voice sounded a little loud.

"_He is right, our best shot at getting to Kandrakar is going back to Rakadin,_" Cornelia thought back. "_Taranee?_ _What do you think?_"

"No," said Taranee aloud. She could feel Cornelia's shock. "When will it be enough Cornelia? Will almost killed Irma. I'm blind, possibly forever. Elyon is trapped in her own head and all your powers are gone." Again, Taranee felt surprise and worry from Cornelia but Taranee continued.

"Even if we get to Kandrakar, what then?" Taranee asked. "Will has the heart and we have nothing!"

"We have each other," said Hay Lin. Instinctively Taranee turned to look at Hay Lin, unable to see her, yet feeling her instead. It was a strange sort of sight like Taranee knew someone was there but unable to see them. And somehow Taranee could see that Hay Lin was supporting Irma. Irma who still hadn't said a word.

"That isn't enough anymore Hay Lin," said Taranee irritably. "We would be like lambs to the slaughter. How could we possibly fight against Serenity and Will with NO powers?"

"That is enough!" retorted Cornelia. "We didn't come this far to give up now!" Taranee felt Cornelia take her hand. "We're going to Rakadin. We're going to Kandrakar. We're going to save Will. And we're going to kick the crap out that Serenity bitch!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Caleb waved goodbye to Cornelia as the fold slowly contracted to a close. Cornelia did not wave back, instead she held Taranee's arm reassuringly. Cornelia was the leader for the moment and she had to be strong, she had to show her courage.

"The portal is this way," said the boy called Hayden. He pointed off down the street and motioned for the other to follow. The sun had set but the light of the street lamps dumped an eerie glow into the air.

The Guardians let the Dragon Knights lead the way through the streets of Heatherfield. Both groups were weary of the other. But they had to give 'working together' a try, if they wanted a chance.

Cornelia guided Taranee along while Hay Lin helped support Irma. The walnut haired girl eyes were half closed and her face was somber. Cornelia was becoming more worried about her by the moment. However her thought were interrupted by Taranee's voice in her mind.

"_I'm sorry,_" said Taranee's words. "_I shouldn't have said those things, I really do want to save Will… it's just…_"

"_Don't worry about it,_" Cornelia interrupted.

"_Cornelia, there is something else I have to tell you,_" thought Taranee. "_Something Elyon wanted me to tell you._" Taranee felt Cornelia's grip tighten. Could she really bring this up? Was this really the time to give Cornelia Elyon's message? "_Cornelia… Elyon's…_"

"This is it," said Hayden. The group came to a halt. They were at the Sheffield Institute. Hayden moved his hand through the air and the veil of magic that concealed the portal shimmered away, revealing a smooth blue surface.

"_It will have to wait for later,_" thought Cornelia back to Taranee. Taranee nodded, feeling relieved that she did not have to deliver Elyon's message just yet.

"So who goes first?" asked Alex.

"We all go together, and face whatever is on the other side," said Cornelia.

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Thank you reviewers: **Powerloth, Taeniaea, XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9, Dai Makai, Darev and lost prince. **Thank you all for your continuing support!**

**Thank you readers! It's always good to see you coming back. I hope you are enjoying the story!**

**So, wow, where to begin, these last couple of weeks have been crazy for me. Work and RL just seem to get less bearable everyday and my escape into writing seems to be less and less.**

**We are getting close to the end everyone, this is the FINAL episode. Yes, that's right you are now only 3 chapters away from the end! OMG. Things just get more stressful as I get closer. This chapter in particular has been a lot of trouble for me, partly due to my lack of time to actually work on it.**

**First draft was 17 pages but that was just too long. So I took the second half and moved it into the next chapter (now that chapter is too long). I like it better there anyhow. There is enough going on in this chapter as it is. And killing four more main characters really needed to be a chapter of its own… err did I say that… I mean… (is he kidding? You don't know now do you?)**

**Anyhow… More proofing of this chapter tomorrow. Then I have to resume work on the mess I've now made of the next chapter, sigh.**

**Starwin out.**


	26. E7 P2: Remaking the World

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 7: Eternities End

* * *

Part 2: Remaking the World

* * *

The rolling hum of the shimmering blue portal was suppressed by the cold, stagnate, air. The sound should have echoed in the vacant halls but it simply faded away instead. And save for the dull light of the magic portal, the fortress of Rakadin was cloaked in shadowy, eternal, night.

The surface of the portal rippled like water and a glowing body emerged, disturbing the desolate world. The light quickly faded away, revealing Cornelia. She had been the first to step through the portal but she had not been the only one.

Clutching Cornelia's hand tightly was Taranee, she looked blankly ahead. Had she been able to see, things would not have looked much different. The light of the portal illuminated only a small area of what seemed to be a massive room.

Hayden and the rest of the Dragon Knights came through next, followed closely by Irma and Hay Lin. Irma's arm was slung over Hay Lin's shoulder. Although Irma was able to walk on her own she seemed distant and her eyes were glazed over.

The group stood in silence for a moment. Irma's whispers were the first sound any of them heard, though only Hay Lin understood.

"Irma needs to rest," announced Hay Lin as she readjusted her grip on Irma. There was a long moment of silence as Hay Lin helped Irma to sit on a nearby pillar that had toppled over.

Once Irma was off her feet Cornelia spoke. "So where do we go now?" Her eyes scanned the darkness before them looking for some indication of direction or even location. But for all she could tell they had stepped into absolute nothingness.

"Now we go deeper into Rakadin. We just have to hope there is a way to Kandrakar," replied Hayden. Taranee spun on Hayden, her eyes unable to see him, but looking right at him all the same.

"WHAT?" Taranee shouted angrily. "You said there _was_ a way to Kandrakar here! Not that there might be!"

"I said Kandrakar and Rakadin are connected," retorted Hayden. "This is still our best chance. If we start looking now we might…"

"Start looking!" Taranee cried in shock. "You don't even have any idea that there is a way to Kandrakar, do you!"

"Stop it!" shouted Hay Lin, catching everyone by surprise. All eyes turned on her. "Arguing isn't getting us anywhere. If we work together we have a better chance!"

"Actually," said Cornelia calmly, her eyes looking at Irma for a moment before glancing around at the other people in the dim light. "I think it's better if we split up. We can cover more ground that way."

"Agreed," said Hayden. "There are eight of us, if we each look in a different place…"

"I'm not leaving Irma," cried Hay Lin, gripping the vacant eyed Irma.

"Okay, that's still seven of us…" Hayden said.

"Um, hello, I'm still blind," said Taranee pointing at her murky eyes. "I won't exactly be able to search very well."

"Fine," Hayden said sharply. "Dante, Alex and Owin. You three start searching; East, West and North Rakadin." The boys hesitated for a moment as though unsure if they wanted to take Hayden's orders.

Finally Owin shrugged and walked off without a word. Dante and Alex cast each other sideways looks before vanishing into the darkness as well.

"And the three of us will head south," said Hayden indicating Cornelia and Taranee. Hayden made to take the lead but paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Despite what you might think, I …" Hayden's voice trailed off, "I never hated you… and I'm… I'm sorry for what we… what I did…" Cornelia wasn't sure how to respond to this so she just stayed silent. "Come on, I know the first place we should look."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Hay Lin watched uneasily as Taranee and Cornelia vanished into the darkness. The faint pool of light from the portal struggled to keep the shadows at bay as everlasting night of Rakadin pressed in upon Irma and Hay Lin.

Hay Lin shivered. There was no breeze but this place was cold. Terrible memories of Rakadin danced through Hay Lin's mind. Hay Lin didn't recall it being this dark the last time she had been here but the chill was something she remembered all too well.

A small voice made Hay Lin jump. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had almost forgotten that Irma was still there. Irma sat motionless beside her. The brown haired girl still leaned against Hay Lin for support.

"What?" Hay Lin asked. Irma has spoken so softly that even Hay Lin's sensitive ears had been unable to make out her words. Hay Lin turned her head as Irma spoke again.

"Dead," said Irma quietly. "I'm dead, Hay Lin."

Hay Lin felt her eyes widen in surprise and fear at these words. How could Irma say such a thing? Why would she say such a thing?

"No," said Hay Lin reflexively. "No, Cornelia and Owin saved you. They used their magic to heal you!"

"Didn't heal," said Irma, her voice flat. "Brought my body back, but not my soul."

Hay Lin shook her head furiously.

"No, you're fine!" said Hay Lin, tears starting down her cheeks. "You're fine, you're fine…" Hay Lin sobbed.

Irma's eyes wandered slowly across the floor, trying to make their way to Hay Lin, but they didn't.

"I don't feel sad," said Irma. "I don't feel anything but emptiness."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Deep in the darkness of Rakadin, Hayden led the way. In Kandrakar the walls seemed to glow with everlasting light but not in Rakadin—in Rakadin, the walls stole the light away.

Taranee held a bright flame in the palm of her hand. It should have illuminated the entire hallway but it did not. Only a small patch of light lit their way.

"Here," said Hayden. He came to a stop at a door. It looked like every other door they had passed. Cornelia prepped herself for an ambush. She had a sudden feeling that it would be Serenity who popped out from behind the door to attack them.

But when Hayden pushed open the door, the room on the other side appeared empty. Taranee's fire lit only a portion of the room, not enough to see the far walls. Hayden moved in cautiously, his head looking side-to-side, searching. Then he stopped and looked away.

Cornelia moved forward, trying to see what Hayden had found. Taranee followed Cornelia, still grasping her hand. The fire came with them casting its light on what Hayden had seen. Cornelia felt bile rise in her throat and for a moment she wished she was blind like Taranee.

Sitting on the floor rocking back and forth with his arms wrapped around his knees, was Matt Olsen. There were bloody cuts all over his arms and streams of red tears ran down from his eyes.

"Oh my god…" Cornelia said feeling sick. "Matt…"

Matt stopped rocking back and forth and looked up at the Guardian, his eyes pained. Then he looked away again and resumed his rocking.

"I can't forget," Matt said not looking or speaking to anyone in particular. "I won't forget…"

"Forget what?" asked Taranee as she stared blankly ahead. Matt's eyes flicked up to her but he didn't say anything.

"What happened to him?" Cornelia demanded as she looked at Hayden.

"Serenity," Hayden whispered. "She broke him, then locked him up here so that he couldn't interfere anymore."

"You should have stopped her!" Taranee said angrily. Hayden looked away ashamed. Cornelia let go of Taranee for a moment and knelt next to Matt.

"Matt, what can't you forget," Cornelia asked kindly. She moved to touch him, but froze. Carved into Matt's flesh were strange gouges that looked like letters; Cornelia couldn't make them out. Matt continued to rock back and forth.

"I have to remember, I can't forget," Matt repeated. With a shaking hand he held up his cell phone. It was flipped open and typed on the screen were the words "NEVER FORGET WILL VANDOM".

"You left yourself a message," Cornelia said smiling at the words.

"A lot of messages," whispered Hayden, he was pointing at the walls. Cornelia looked to where Hayden was pointing and felt herself go pale. Words were written all over the walls and floor, in blood. One message repeated over and over: 'Never forget Will Vandom.'

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Will walked uneasily behind Serenity. This place, it frightened her. It looked like Rakadin, like the home she knew, but it was… different somehow; distantly familiar and yet, completely alien.

"I don't like it here," whispered Will taking Serenity's arm like a scared child.

Serenity tried to smile at the redhead but she could not. "I don't much care for it yet either, but all that is about to change. This place will become as I remember it…" Will looked at Serenity, not understanding what she meant. "…as _we_ remember it."

"But I don't remember it," whispered Will as she grasped the Heart of Kandrakar tighter in her hand.

"Soon Will, everything you have lost will be given back to you," said Serenity confidently. "Together we will set right what was made wrong. There will be no more darkness and no more light. There will be no more pain and no more suffering." Serenity looked Will in the eyes and this time she had no trouble smiling. "Together we will unmake the world of lies created by the Oracle."

Will still felt confused and troubled but she nodded but did not protest again.

The two girls didn't even pause at the doorway into the consul chambers. The room was filled with black crystals, like the inside of some bizarre geode. Moving with purpose Serenity led them deep into the crystal maze.

At last they stopped when the path went no further. Will gasped, for there was the face of a man protruding from the large gem that blocked their path. His troubled blue eyes looked upon the girls but the gem was so tight around his head that he could no longer open his mouth to speak.

There was fear in his eyes and rightly so for he knew what was coming. Serenity pulled out the Soul of Rakadin, it glowed with blue energy. The stone was eager, Serenity could feel the longing in the gem.

Serenity looked up at the Oracle, there was no trace of a smile on her face. "Are you happy now Oracle? For this is your doing." The Oracle said nothing because he could not.

Serenity turned to Will and spoke softly but stared at her intently. "Are you ready?" Serenity asked. But Will looked away.

"I'm afraid," Will admitted. She clutched the Heart of Kandrakar closer to her chest. "I don't think I can do this…"

"This has always been our destiny," said Serenity, the tremble in her voice betrayed her worry. Will continued to look away. "Will… you're my soul… You might have forgotten me but every day we've been apart I've felt your absence. Without you I've been lost; I've been empty…"

At last Will eyes found Serenity and for the first time Will could see true sadness in the silver haired girl's black eyes; a sadness that Will finally felt herself. Will looked up at the Oracle who stared back at her pleadingly. But Will did not feel pity. She felt anger and hatred for what the Oracle had done; for the lies he had told.

"I do this to defy you," said Will harshly. Will held out the Heart of Kandrakar. Sparks of lightning jumped between the Heart and Soul as both began to glow. From Serenity's feet a black shadow crept out slowly behind her. It changed the floor and walls and ceiling of all of Kandrakar, changing it to Rakadin.

"It is time…" shouted Serenity over the roar of magic that had filled the air. "… to remake Indrakin!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Owin ran his hand along the wall of the throne room. He had been sure that if there was a way to Kandrakar it would have been here. But there was nothing, just cold black stone.

"_Everyone regroup at the portal,_" came Taranee's voice in Owin's head. It was an unsettling sensation for Owin, too many people had been inside his head as of late. Owin pushed the feeling aside and turned to leave. But, before he could, a rush of magic crashed into him, pinning Owin against the wall.

Two ghost like figures shimmered into existence in the middle of the circular room. One was Serenity and the other was Will. They looked like they were holding a ball of white fire between them.

The ground around Will's feet began to burn, turning the black marble to white stone. However, this odd transformation that was quickly consuming the chamber, only burned the half of the room behind Will. It did not move towards Serenity. The fire stopped in a perfect line at her feet, so that half the room remained black stone while the other half turned white.

Owin noticed that the white flame was quickly rushing towards him. With all his willpower Owin pulled himself off the wall and staggered out of the room before running as fast as he could back towards the portal.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Alex and Dante were the first to arrive back at the portal, finding Hay Lin and Irma right where they had left them. Hay Lin looked distressed but none of them spoke.

A whispering voice that came from the darkness made everyone but Irma's head turn in the direction of the sound. Cornelia and Taranee were walking in the lead, Taranee still held the orb of fire. Hayden was following them and… there was someone else with them.

"Matt!" cried Hay Lin. Excitement and surprise on her face. But her expression quickly turned pale as the group got closer and she could clearly see Matt. Although he was still whispering incoherently to himself, Cornelia was fairly sure she knew what he was saying.

"What happened to him?" asked Hay Lin, her voice distressed.

"We don't know but whatever Serenity did to him it was far worse than what she did to us," Taranee said.

Matt's suddenly screamed and clasped his hands to his ears.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" shouted Dante, covering his own ears.

"Matt, Matt, it's ok!" Cornelia shouted taking hold of him and trying to sound reassuring. "Calm down, it's ok!"

"Don't forget!" Matt shouted. "Can't forget!" Suddenly he grabbed Cornelia painfully by her shoulders. "It's hidden away but not forgotten!"

"What?" Cornelia cried hysterically. Matt released Cornelia then clutched his own chest painfully, digging into his skin before pulling his hand away.

In his palm was a glowing light. Everyone stood transfixed with surprise. Matt held the metal frame of the Heart of Kandrakar in his outstretched hand. No one moved to take it.

Matt dropped the small silver frame. It tumbled in slow motion towards the floor. The girls watched, unable to move fast enough to catch it. But before it could hit the ground a hand caught it.

Everyone gasped in shock. Kneeling next to Matt, was Will Vandom.

"Hey guys, did you miss me?" Will asked with a smile.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"No," said the redheaded girl who had appeared before the Guardians and Dragon Knights. "I am not the real Will. I am her astral drop."

"Then you're the one who deceived us!" said Taranee stepping forward threateningly. Cornelia put out a hand to hold the Fire Guardian back.

"Yes," answered the astral drop of Will. "And I'm sorry that I did! Serenity used me, just like she used the Dragon Knights, just like she is using the real Will! If it hadn't been for me she would have been able to merge Kandrakar and Rakadin a long time ago!"

"What do you mean, 'if it hadn't been for you'?" Hay Lin asked.

"When Will re-absorbed me I didn't return to her, I didn't give her my memories back. I'm not really sure why but I just kind of floated there, sealed up inside her, unable to do anything but watch," the astral drop explained.

"That is, until Serenity tried to invade Kandrakar. The Altermere's attacked them and when the Altermere of Energy grabbed Will it was in that moment the Heart realized that its Keeper was no longer the person she used to be, and it found me inside her instead.

"I had become the Heart's Keeper because, well, I was Will, I was everything that she once was. I commanded the Heart to flee, to hide, and the Altermere let me escape," the astral drop held up the metal frame of the Heart of Kandrakar. "One piece went to each of you so that Will would have trouble finding the Heart.

"And the last part, the frame, was hidden inside Matt," the astral drop blushed. "He was the only other person I could think about where it might be safe."

"Alright," said Cornelia. "So if you have part of the Heart, transform us and take us to Kandrakar!"

The astral drop shook her head. "I can't, this is only a small piece of the Heart. I don't think it has the power to do such a thing."

"Well, then how are we going to get to Kandrakar and stop Serenity?" Taranee asked.

"I don't know," replied the astral drop. The group fell into silence, except for Matt's whisperings.

"What's going to happen to him," Hay Lin asked, concerned, as she looked at Matt.

"If Serenity tampered with his mind, like she did with us, the effect should fade with time," Alex said. "He should be his old self in a few days."

"Maybe we should take him home?" said Taranee as they held Matt before the portal. "He is in no shape to be wandering around Heatherfield."

"There isn't time," answered Cornelia. "We have to find a way to get to Kandrakar. Matt?" Cornelia asked looking Matt in the eyes. His pupils twitched and he tried to look anywhere but at Cornelia. "You have to go straight home, can you do that?"

"Can't forget," Matt muttered. "Have to remember."

"Yes," Cornelia said. "Remember that you have to go home."

"Have to remember Will," Matt said shaking his head. Cornelia's mouth twitched.

"Can you make it home for Will?" the astral drop interjected. "Can you remember to be safe for her?" For the first time since they had found him in Rakadin, Matt seemed focused for a moment. He looked at the girl who looked so much like Will and puzzled over her words. He nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on her as though longing to remember her.

"For you, I can remember, have to remember," Matt said and without hesitation he vanished through the portal back to Heatherfield.

"So what do we do now uhh…" Hay Lin said looking at the astral drop. "What's your name by the way? It feels a little strange to call you Will or Astral Drop."

The astral drop looked surprised by the question. "Well I have always liked the name Elizabeth, how about you call me Beth?"

Hay Lin looked pensive for a moment before saying, "But wouldn't that make our name B.I.T…" Hay Lin started to say. Cornelia slapped a hand over Hay Lin's mouth.

"Don't say it Hay Lin, I don't think the readers could take another horrible acronym joke." Cornelia said shaking her head.

"What?" Dante whispered to Alex, who shrugged, clearly having no idea what the girls were talking about.

"Maybe we should go with Liz instead?" Cornelia suggested. The astral drop shrugged indicating that the name was fine.

"Litch?" Hay Lin muttered to herself. "That doesn't mean anything… but I guess it's better than 'itch'…"

"Okay then, we should…" Hayden started to say giving Hay Lin a strange look. "Hey, where is Owin?"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

With a crash louder than thunder the Soul and Heart snapped together as though they were powerful magnets. The two gems begun to merge into each other, becoming one single, magical, object. And as the gems twisted and turned in the air, so too did the worlds of black and white begin to mix like paint.

Serenity and Will watched as the single white gem spun faster and faster between them. It's light bright as the sun. With incredible force the two girls were suddenly pulled forward into each other, the gem crushed between their bodies. They too began to glow like the gem itself, becoming a burning star that shook with incredible power.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Were too late!" shouted Owin as he emerged out of the darkness. No one had time to fully realize Owin's warning. An explosion of light erupted from the hallway behind him, knocking him to the ground.

The walls flashed white and for a moment there seemed to be two Rakadins. Then everything snapped together and with one last powerful shutter the shaking stopped.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The brightness that burned around Serenity and Will receded. In its place a single person stood. Long red hair flowed down her back and her reflectionless black eyes opened slowly, taking in the new world.

The black gems begun to melt away, releasing those trapped within. However, they were no longer the weak ancient elders of Kandrakar but armored warriors. They all looked confused, except for one man. One man stood tall above the others, a silver swrod clasped in his hand. He head had long top knot of white, almost silver hair, coming out of the back and his calm blue eyes hid rage behind them.

"At last," whispered the man, his voice powerful. "I am whole once more!"

"Welcome back, Ori Kull," whispered the girl with long red hair. Her black eyes fixed on the ancient leader of Indrakin. Ori Kull turned to the young girl, his own eye searching her face as though trying to recognize her.

"It has been far too long time since anyone spoke that name," said Ori Kull. "Who are you, child?"

"We are the Harbinger," said the girl. Her voice was a mix of many voices and around her neck a white gem filled with many colors. "And we have a task for you."

* * *

End of Part 2: To Be Continued!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Thank you everyone who left a review for last chapter: **DayDreamer9, XV-Dragon, Dai Makai, Taeniaea, Darev, lost prince and Powerloth.

**Thank you everyone who read last chapter!**

**Thank you person who did the stuff and the things last chapter!**

**This week went fast for me. It seems like only a couple days ago I was putting up the last chapter and now BAM! Here I am with the next one. Seriously it's wearing me down. Running out of energy. But almost there.**

**Anyhow… so yeah… that's this chapter. Can't honestly say I like it. Don't hate-hate it, but don't like-like it either. Maybe if my brain wasn't soooo tired I could do better but this month has just been a power drain for me. I can hardly think and it's been hard for me to want to do much of anything.**

**The plus side is that Spore (seriously, look it up if you don't know what it is) comes out today, and I've really been looking forward to that, so by the time you read this I will already be playing it… and if this is posted on Monday for some reason its because of Spore… sorry if that's the case…**

**Starwin out.**


	27. E7 P3: Rise of the Fallen

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 7: Eternities End

* * *

Part 3: Rise of the Fallen

* * *

It wasn't like waking up, because that felt different. This felt like… like being in a dream. Like, suddenly being there but couldn't remember having gotten there. At least, that's what Irma thought.

She was standing all alone under a crystal blue sky that, oddly, had no sun to keep it bright. The ground was springy beneath her feet, almost like she was walking on air; she couldn't see what the ground was made off because thick mist hid it from sight.

There was nothing in any direction, just endless mist and cloudless sky. And for the life of her, Irma couldn't figure out how she had gotten here. The last thing she clearly remembered was Will pointing at her and… pain, terrible, burning pain.

A horrible thought crossed Irma's mind, and worry overtook her face. She couldn't be… this wasn't…

"Hello, child," whispered a disembodied voice that caused Irma to cry out in surprise. Irma glanced around but there was no one anywhere. Feeling even more worried, Irma shakily retreated a few steps.

"Who… who's there?" Irma whispered. The mist in front of her began to turn and swirl. It rose in a column before condensing into a person, a woman. Irma did not recognize her but there was something oddly familiar about her looks. Long red hair, streaked with silver flowed down the woman's back while her blue eyes watched Irma intently.

The woman smiled pleasantly. "Who are you?" Irma asked uncertainly.

"My name is Elise," said the woman. Irma stared at her blankly but the woman only continued to smile. "But I do not expect that name to have any meaning for you." Elise paused as though considering her next words. "I am Serenity's mother, the former Queen of Rakadin."

At this announcement Irma's eyes went wide and she took another step backwards. But Elise did not pursue. Instead she simply stood there and watched Irma, waiting for her to respond.

"So you're what? Here to kill me?" Irma asked, her eyes suddenly darted around, realizing that her question might be moot.

"No, child," said Elise kindly. "Quite the opposite actually. Do you know where you are?" Irma looked around, her brain slowly working out what she was seeing.

"Heaven?" Irma guessed.

"Not exactly," said Elise. "This is Haven, Plane of Air, the Second Realm of Eternity." Irma looked confused, Elise smiled. "But that will be explained when you return here."

"Return here?" asked Irma. "I don't understand."

"We must move quickly, Irma," said Elise not answering Irma's question. "Time moves differently here." Elise waved her hands over the mist and it parted, pulling away in a circle. Irma looked to see what was below and instantly wished she hadn't.

Irma had expected to see the ground but instead she saw the whole of the universe laid out before her. It wasn't like looking from afar; it was like seeing everything, all at once. Irma closed her eyes and looked away, it was too much, it was too painful.

"Focus Irma, look closely at the very center of the universe," whispered Elise. But Irma kept her eyes closed tight.

"I can't," said Irma. "I don't want to see it."

"Please, you have to look, it's very important." Irma's eyes suddenly snapped open, but she did not look down into the universe. Instead she looked across at the person standing next to Elise, the person who had spoken, the person who looked just like herself. It was Irma except she was dressed like a Guardian, although, the outfit was very different.

"What is this?" Irma demanded, pointing at herself.

"I'm you, a future, you," replied the guardian Irma. "Don't ask me to explain. My head hurts just thinking about it. Besides, I'm not sure I really understand it anyhow." The girl claiming to be Irma looked across at herself. "You have to go back—our friends can't do this without you."

"You aren't dead, but you will be, if you linger here much longer," Elise said.

"And how exactly do I get back?" asked Irma. "Click my heals together and say theirs no place like being alive?"

"The Heartstring connecting your body and soul has not been broken yet," said Elise, pointing at the golden thread winding its way out of Irma's chest. "All you have to do is follow it home."

Irma's eyes flicked to 'herself', then Elise and finally the golden thread that stretched out into the universe below. Her eyes followed the line deep into the infinity of the universe, into the center of everything, into Kandrakar, or something that looked like Kandrakar anyhow.

"And Irma," the guardian Irma said. "You have to stop Cornelia. You can't let her kill…" but Irma never heard what her future self had to say. There was a sharp tug on Irma's chest and she was suddenly pulled towards Kandrakar.

Galaxies and stars sped past as Irma raced through the universe toward Kandrakar. Faster and faster until the white walls were right in front of her. But, before she reached them the walls turned black, changing into something different.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"Shenanigans!" Irma shouted as she sat bolt upright, her eyes snapping open. She had just had the strangest dream but she couldn't clearly recall it. Something about sky and… the thoughts were already fading away.

Blinking the fuzziness out of her eyes Irma struggled to get figure out where she was. She didn't recognize this place but at the same time there was something oddly familiar about it.

A moan drew Irma's eyes downwards, finding Hay Lin curled in a ball at her feet. Still shaky Irma knelt next to Hay Lin and checked to see if she was ok.

Hay Lin's breathing was shallow, almost like she was asleep. Irma shook her gently and Hay Lin shuttered, letting out a little cry before rolling over and looking up at Irma. There was a momentary pause, Irma smiled.

"Hey, you ok?" Irma asked. To Irma's great surprise Hay Lin leapt up and wrapped her arm tightly around Irma in a crushing hug.

"You're alright!" Hay Lin sobbed into Irma hair. "You're really alright!" Irma awkwardly returned Hay Lin's hug, not entirely sure what her friend meant. "I thought we lost you, I thought you were gone!" Hay Lin said, tears sliding down her face.

"I'm fine," said Irma, although she was starting to feel less fine the more she heard. "I'm fine." Irma repeated absently as she looked around at the others. "Hay Lin what happened? Where are we?"

"I don't really know," said Hay Lin. She finally let go of Irma and pulled back to see the others scattered around the room. "There was this flash of light and then I don't really know, everything kind of changed. Like we were transported someplace!"

Cornelia let out a groan as she worked her way to her knees. Irma and Hay Lin moved quickly to her side. Cornelia looked up at Irma, shock on her face as she took the Water Guardians hand.

"Irma," said Cornelia, her voice uneven. "You're…"

"Fine. I…," Irma's voice trailed off as her eyes fell on the other girl who was starting to stir. "Will…?" Irma asked, her eyes locked on the redhead. The girl looked up and her eyes met with Irma's. In that moment Irma knew all she needed to.

"Look out it's the Astral Drop!" shouted Irma as she pulled Cornelia roughly behind her.

"No, Irma it's ok!" said Hay Lin, grabbing her friends shoulder and trying to calm her down. "She's on our side now. She saved us! She saved everyone!" Irma looked at Hay Lin like she thought her friend was insane.

"I just did what I thought was right," said the astral drop as she rubbed her arm awkwardly. Irma did not move closer to the girl who was not Will, but she did relax a little.

"We don't have time," grunted a male voice that made Irma tensed once more as she turned towards the other group of people now working to their feet.

Irma recognized their faces, they were boys from their school! Irma suddenly realized who they were! They were the Dragon Knights!

"No, their on our side too!" said Hay Lin, sensing her friend's sudden agitation.

"Next you're going to tell me that Serenity is on our side also!" cried Irma sarcastically. Hay Lin didn't answer for a moment. "She isn't on our side, is she?"

"No," said Hayden, his voice gruff. "She's been playing us against each other. And it's time we pay her back!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The group walked silently through the grayish hallways. There were no windows, yet there was light all the same. It was a welcome change from the impossible darkness that had lingered in Rakadin.

"This isn't Rakadin," said Owin, breaking the silence at last. He ran a hand along the rough stone wall. "And the room we woke up in wasn't the one we started out in."

"Maybe that flash of light transported us?" suggested Liz, the astral drop.

"Maybe," mused Cornelia. "But to where? Not Kandrakar, we can all agree on that. But even still, this place does feel a lot like Kandrakar. And at the same time it feels totally different."

"That is because this place is once more as it always should have been," said a voice that stopped the group in their tracks. A Tall man with a single topknot of silver hair stood blocking their path. Resting against his shoulder was an enormous silver sword, the side of which was emblazoned with a dragon.

"Does anyone else think this guy looks familiar?" Irma whispered.

"The Oracle!" they all shouted at once.

The man laughed. "Close, I am the true man that the Oracle once was, I am Ori Kull.

"And It would appear that I did not have to seek far and wide to find that which the Harbinger desires," said the man who blocked their path. He lifted his long silver sword and pointed it at the group. "Surrender the Guard of the Heart to me, and I will ensure you're deaths are swift."

"F.Y.I." retorted Irma. "Threatening to kill isn't as good an offer as you might think it is." The man smiled a horrible sinister smile.

"I know," whispered Ori Kull. "That is what will make this enjoyable." He swung his sword quickly from side to side and spoke soft words in an ancient tongue. Magic began to whirl around the silver metal and with a great slash Ori Kull sent a blade of energy hurtling at the Guardians and Dragon Knights.

Dark energy lashed out crashing into the magical attack and dissipating in the air before it reached them. Ori Kull did not look surprised, he looked angry.

"Serenity once told me that she couldn't take away my powers," said Hayden as he stepped past the girls to stand between Ori Kull and the group. "I guess she wasn't lying about that."

"Pitiful fool," hiss Ori Kull. "You have but a shadow of the Guardians powers. You cannot possibly hope to defeat me alone!"

"He isn't alone," said Alex as he moved forward too.

"Dante," said Hayden over his shoulder, not taking his eyes of the man with the sword. "Make a portal for the Guardians to get past this freak. We'll hold him off while they take down Serenity."

"You have to be joking!" Dante said. "We can't fight that guy!"

"I wasn't asking," said Hayden coldly.

"Fine," replied Dante. Holding out his hand, Dante summoned a portal of darkness.

"There is no escape!" roared Ori Kull. With a powerful leap, he launched forward into a sprint, his sword raised high above his head.

"Go, quickly!" Hayden shouted.

"Go!" said Cornelia. Irma was the first to respond, nodding she grabbed Hay Lin by the elbow and pulled her through. Cornelia detached Taranee from her arm and passed her to Liz, then the astral drop and the blind Fire Guardian stepped through too. "Good luck," Cornelia said, looking pointedly at Hayden.

Hayden just nodded. Cornelia stepped through the portal, the roar of Ori Kull was cut off behind her.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Cold shadows smothered Cornelia. She felt like her whole body was being squeeze in a vice. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. Cornelia held her breath, not wanting to breathe in whatever might be pressing against her. Because all she could see was darkness.

For a moment Cornelia wondered if Dante had betrayed them. Sent her and her friends into a darkness they would never return from. Just when she thought she could take no more the crushing hold relinquished and Cornelia stumbled forward into the arms of her friends, gulping in large amounts of air.

"That was one hell of a ride," said Liz as she helped to steady Cornelia. Cornelia nodded, not sure she wanted to try speaking just yet. With a snap the portal of darkness collapsed.

"Where are we?" asked Taranee. She was standing alone and looking around at the walls with blank eyes.

"I don't think were in Kansas anymore," said Irma as she released Cornelia's arm, now that her friend was stable again.

"Something is wrong with this place," said Hay Lin.

"You think?" said Irma sarcastically.

"No, I mean wrong with _this_ place, look!" Hay Lin was pointing at a patch of floor. All of the girls, except for Taranee, looked at what Hay Lin was gesturing to. It was a strange sight indeed.

Two patches of white and black marble danced along the floor as if some overhead light were projecting moving spots on the ground. The spots danced around each other, coming close and then pulling apart, but never touching.

"Ok," said Liz. "I give up, what the heck is that!"

"It's Kandrakar," whispered Taranee. "And Rakadin."

"You can't even see them!" said Irma. "And that doesn't make any sense!"

"Kandrakar… and Rakadin?" mused the astral drop to herself, looking worried. "Kandrakar and Rakadin!" she repeated louder, stating it this time. "They are parts of Kandrakar and Rakadin!

"Don't you see!" cried Liz. "This isn't Kandrakar, we weren't transported anywhere! Kandrakar and Rakadin have merged into one! But not completely." The astral drop touched the Guard of the Heart around her neck. "Serenity was missing one piece."

"You don't think that shiny thing could transform us, do you?" asked Irma as she stared at the metal frame around Liz's neck.

"Not all of us, no," said Liz.

"How about just one of us?" asked Taranee.

"Possibly," whispered Liz as she clutched the Guard. "But what good is one Guardian going to do against Serenity and Will and whatever nasty surprises they have in wait for us."

"One is better than none," said Cornelia as she moved closer.

"But which one?" Hay Lin whispered eagerly.

"Me," announced Irma confidently. Everyone looked at her. "I'm the obvious choice here. Taranee is blind. Cornelia's lost all her power, so we don't know if it will work on her anyhow. You're an astral drop," Irma said pointing at Liz, "no offence. And Hay Lin… well I can't think of a good reason to exclude Hay Lin. But come on! It's totally my turn!"

Cornelia looked somber as she watched Irma, considering her words.

"Irma is right," said Taranee. "This task is meant for her. I can see it." Everyone turned towards Taranee, who was looking right at Irma with unblinking, murky eyes. "You stand out like a glowing flame against everything else." Continued Taranee unperturbed. "I can't really explain it but… but I can see you. As though you were on fire in my mind."

Irma looked back at Cornelia, as if she had the final say. "Alright. Do it." whispered Cornelia.

Liz held out the Guard of the Heart and pointed it at Irma. "Guardian Unite!" shouted the Astral Drop.

A roaring ball of energy erupted around the Guard. Irma's eyes went wide but before she could say anything the magic jumped from the Guard into her body. Irma let out a cry of distress as white hot flames raced across her body. The powerful magic lifted the Water Guardian off the ground. Irma continued to scream.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Hay Lin cried, looking at Liz in distress. But the astral drop didn't seem to have any control over what was going on. Her hands were stuck to the Guard and shaking violently. Blazing energy continued to poor into Irma.

Tendrils of power crashed into the walls and floor, ripping up stone and causing it to float around Irma like some strange asteroid belt. Then everything suddenly collapsed inward crushing into an impossibly bright sphere of white.

Hay Lin was calling out Irma's name at the top of her lungs but all sound was drown out by the roar of magic.

The intense surge lasted only a moment and with the sound and force of a sonic boom the magic dissipated, knocking the girls off their feet.

Hay Lin was the first to open her eyes and find Irma standing before her. Looking like nothing any of them had ever seen before.

* * *

End of Part 3: To Be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Shout out to my reviewers: **XV-Dragon, lost prince, Taeniaea, Dai Makai, DayDreamer9 and Darev!

**And to my readers, I know you're out there and I am glad you keep coming back for more!**

**So this chapter, wow. Originally this was the big final battle. But, I just kept putting off working on it until the very last minute, good thing I set a deadline for myself or it would seriously never have gotten finished. **

**Anyhow, yesterday (it's Friday when I am writing these notes) I picked up the chapter and ho-boy was I in for a surprise when I blew off the dust and settled down to work on this one. 50 of it was strait up unusable because I had messed with so many things along the way (the biggest one being Irma, which just sort of happened and wasn't part of the original plan, although it worked out rather well imo).**

**While many of the things that used to be here got pushed into the next chapter, some just got dropped. (Seriously, the last chapter of this story is getting scary big), About 1/4****th**** of the original idea remains here. Funny how stuff like that works out.**

**Anyhow, the next chapter really is the ending, no ifs ands or butts (not a typo). It's not the last chapter (there's still an epilogue to come) but it's the end of the main story arch. So, stay tuned! The final part is coming!**

**Starwin out.**


	28. E7 P4: The Harbinger

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 7: Eternities End

* * *

Part 4: The Harbinger

* * *

"Oh my god, Irma!" said Hay Lin, her eyes wide as she stared at her friend.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Irma asked panicked. She felt different, she felt odd.

"What did you do to her?" demanded Cornelia glaring at Liz, the astral drop.

"I don't know!" said Liz, tapping the Guard of the Heart against her palm as though it were a broken watch. Little sparks jumped out of the metal Guard. "I didn't think it would do this!"

"DO WHAT?" Irma shouted. A sudden blast of wind crashed into the group of guardians, almost knocking them down. "Whoa, what was that?"

"I think maybe you should take a look at yourself," suggested Hay Lin. Irma looked down, not understanding what she was seeing. This couldn't be… her?

Unable to work out what her eyes were telling her, Irma decided she needed a mirror of some kind. Pointing at a wall she shot a blast of water and to her surprise it turned into perfectly reflective ice instantly. That's what she had wanted but not intended.

Irma felt her eyes go wide as she finally saw her reflection. Her first thought was that it couldn't be her. Irma waved at her reflection as if trying to trick it. The reflection waved back. It was her, it was really her.

She had gotten much older, like nineteen, maybe even twenty this time. Her normal guardian outfit of green and purple was nowhere to be found. Instead white flowing cloth that seemed to be made of clouds wrapped her upper body, but left her midriff revealed.

Irma couldn't help but check herself out. Firm muscular stomach. Flowing brown hair that cascaded down her back. And long well toned legs, that like her tummy were also bare. Instead of her normal striped tights, Irma had a skirt much like Hay Lin normally got when she transformed.

In fact, now that Irma was looking, her outfit seemed to be made up of parts from all of the Guardians.

Irma examined herself more carefully and found that the symbol of fire, a triangle was emblazoned on the top of her white gloves. The crest of air, a spiral was woven into the band of fabric around her neck. The mark of earth, a circle with a dot at its center was visible on both her shoes. The icon of water, a swish, sat just above her stomach. And the representation of the Heart, was placed over her own heart.

"I…" Irma said as he continued to look at herself in disbelief. "I have all the elements?" Flames suddenly burst forth from Irma's eyes, causing her to cry out in panic. "My eyes are on fire!" shouted Irma as she tried to pat out the flames.

Sudden, sharp pain, exploded in Irma's head. She screamed and the entire wall in front of her was ripped away, crumbling to pieces. A cold, dark sky loomed beyond. There were no clouds and every direction was filled with stars, like they were floating in space.

Irma fell to her knees. Hay Lin moved towards her but Irma held up a hand to stop her friend. Everyone looked panicked for a moment, watching Irma's hand as though it were a deadly weapon.

"I'm fine," said Irma, not sounding fine at all.

"It's too much power! You have to change her back!" Hay Lin demanded, looking desperately at Liz.

"No," said Cornelia. Everyone turned to Cornelia. "I've felt that kind of power before. I know what it can do. And right now, it's the kind of power we need."

"But it's killing her!" Hay Lin cried.

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Irma struggling to her feet. "Cornelia is right. I'm not sure why, or even how, the Guard did what it did. But I'm our best shot."

"You just had to be better than everyone else and go right up to the Ultimate level, didn't you?" asked Cornelia with a smile. All eyes turned to Cornelia. "What? My little brother watches Digimon and sometimes I baby sit him!"

"No," said Hay Lin, a smile creeping to her face. "She's definitely gone Super-Saiyan. Look at the long hair!"

"Yes, ha-ha, very funny," said Irma as the others started to giggle. "Can we just get on with this?" asked Irma as she started to walk off.

"Actually, I think we have to go that way," said Taranee pointing the opposite direction. Irma stopped and looked back at Taranee with surprise. "I can feel Will and Serenity in that direction," explained Taranee. "But something is different."

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Taranee led the way, walking quickly and staring blankly ahead.

"I really don't think this is a good plan," said Hay Lin.

"Do you have a better one?" asked Cornelia irritably. Hay Lin remained quiet. "It's the best we've got."

"But Irma…" Hay Lin protested. Irma threw a casual hug around Hay Lin.

"Don't worry Hay Hey, I'll be just fine," smiled Irma. But Irma's boastful confidence didn't ease Hay Lin's worry.

"Ready?" Cornelia asked everyone as they came to a stop at the large double doors.

"Are we ever ready?" replied Irma taking a deep breath and trying to focus.

"Let's do this!" Liz shouted.

With a horrendous crash the doors to the consul chambers burst open. The room beyond was far different than they remembered it. At its center was a pyramid of stone steps that had a black wood throne atop it.

The room was filled with people who had once been the elders of Kandrakar. However, they had been changed. Now each elder was dressed in black robes and silver armor. In their hands were jagged weapons.

Their eyes fell upon the girls standing at the doorway, and their weapons came to the ready.

"Welcome Guardians," said a voice that sounded of many voices. The eyes of the Guardians were drawn upwards, to the top of the pyramid. A girl with long red hair stood in front of the black throne, her reflectionless black eyes focused on the Guardians. "We have been expecting you."

The girl began to descend down the many steps.

"Does anyone else think that person looks a lot like Will?" Hay Lin whispered to her friends. She hadn't needed to say it, they were all thinking it.

"We are Will," said the girl. "But we are also Serenity." The girls couldn't help but gasp at this announcement. "Our name is now the Harbinger and we are the ruler of all that is.

"Join with us, Guardians and you can serve a cause greater than any you have before." The Harbinger held out her hand. None of the girls moved forward.

"If you are Will than you should know our answer," shouted Irma.

"Indeed we do," said the many voices of the Harbinger. But as she spoke her next words it was Will's voice that sounded the strongest. "But _I_ thought we should give you a chance…" It was the many voices of the Harbinger that spoke next. "Destroy them."

The Harbinger waved a hand towards the girls. The army gathered around the pyramid advanced down upon them, while the Harbinger walked back up to her throne to watch.

"Good job, Irma," whispered Cornelia, sarcastically. The girls moved closer together. The mass of shadow warriors pressed in upon them from all sides, there was nowhere to run, no way to escape.

"_So_," said Hay Lin through the mental link. "_Does this change the plan?_"

"_No_," responded Taranee. "_But it might make it a little harder._"

"_Don't get carried away,_" thought Cornelia, looking pointedly at Irma.

"_Carried away? Me?_" Irma thought back with a smile. "_I wouldn't dream of it!_"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Ori Kull's blade cut the portal of darkness in half. The Dragon Knights retreated. Ori Kull was fast and his reach was long.

"Once more you defy me," said Ori Kull, bringing his blade up so that the Dragon Knights could see their selves reflected in its silver finish. "You have helped the Guardians to escape, and with them, the object I was seeking."

"Why don't you go after them then?" shouted Dante. Hayden gave his friend an angry look. "What, I didn't say I wanted to be their friend."

Ori Kull smiled. "There is no need, you have already sent them to their death, they will take the Guard to the Harbinger and she will rip their flesh from their bodies." Ori Kull pointed his sword at the Dragon Knights. "They will be the lucky ones. I do not intend to be as kind to you."

The man swung his sword in a whirling fury so that the blade became only a blur of motion. Each swing he took forced the boy's away. Sparks leapt into the air as long gashes appeared in the walls, floor and ceiling.

"We can't keep this up!" Dante said as he dodged the point of the blade again.

"We have to use our magic," Alex said. "There is no way we can match his swordsmanship."

"The last time I checked," Dante shouted back, "my powers weren't all that and a bag of chips at the moment!"

"But it's still worth a try," whispered Owin. Summoning up all his strength he forced stone hands to rise from the ground to grab Ori Kull and slow him down. But with a flash of Ori Kull's blade the arms were cut away.

"It's no good, he's too fast," Hayden shouted. "Alex, hit him with a light attack!" Alex nodded. Holding both hands out in front of him he focused all his magic to his fingers and launched an orb of light.

For a moment it looked like the attack would strike! But, at the last moment, Ori Kull moved his sword and deflected the attack back at Alex.

"Look out!" Dante shouted, reaching out a hand. A portal of darkness formed in front of Alex and the attack was redirected, upwards. With an earsplitting boom the magical orb crashed into the ceiling above them and caused stone to rain down on the boys.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

With all her might, Irma stomped the ground as hard as she could. The stone bulged and rippled outwards, knocking down the first wave of attackers.

The armored warriors did not halt. They trampled over their fallen comrades, war screams echoing from their mouths. Irma took a deep breath before blowing as hard as she could. Hurricane force winds crashed into the next group and flung them across the room, even throwing some out the window on the far side.

But even this did not deter the endless army. They continued to charge. Irma cracked her knuckles. It was time to bring out the big guns. Holding out her hands Irma commanded the power of fire to create a wall of flame in front of her.

Or at least that's what she had intended. Instead a surge of pain made Irma's body convulse. The wall of fire burned out of control, not simply stopping the army but engulfing it.

Screams of agony erupted from the writhing mass. Irma wanted to stop it but she couldn't.

"Enough!" yelled the Harbinger. The flames extinguished and Irma forced herself to look skyward at the girl floating down through the air towards her. "We do not find your antics amusing," said the many voices of the Harbinger.

"Then maybe you should fight me yourself," said Irma, sounding out of breath. Her body was already hurting so much, the power inside her was tearing her apart. But Cornelia was right— unfortunately—it was up to Irma.

The Harbinger landed softly in front of Irma and stared the Guardian down. With a scream Irma attacked first, using her own element of water, combine with air to create spikes of ice that shot at the Harbinger with deadly speed.

In a blur of motion the Harbinger dashed sideways dodging the icicles with ease. Irma commanded two giant slabs of stone to snap closed, and crush the Harbinger between them.

With cat like grace the Harbinger sprung backwards, avoiding the closing stone. Irma struck out with a blast of fire that quickly spun out of control into a raging inferno. This time the Harbinger held up her hands, creating a shield of energy to hold the attack at bay.

The fire grew hotter and hotter, even melting the stone ground. Irma couldn't shut it off. Fire certainly wasn't her element and it fought her with all its might. The blaze was wild and beyond her control.

Irma could feel her hands starting to burn. This attack was taking everything she had, like a broken faucet she couldn't turn off. A shockwave of energy struck Irma, knocking her off her feet and causing her to slide along the ground.

The Harbinger looked a little out of breath too as the fire dissipated. The ground between the girls solidified.

"It is time to end this," said the Harbinger. Holding out her hands to her sides, the Harbinger created thousands of snowball sized orbs. They danced around her on an invisible path.

Irma's brain shouted for her to get up, to run, but she couldn't. Pointing a hand at Irma, the Harbinger let the balls of energy lash out.

Reflexively, Irma created a shield of energy. Explosion after explosion rocked the room as the Harbinger shot powerful attacks at Irma's energy shield. Irma struggled to her feet. She could feel her defense would not hold for much longer.

Just as she felt the shield about to collapse, Irma leapt out from behind it and sprinted across the room. Using the power of earth she made many small slabs of stone rise up, making it harder for the Harbinger to get a clear shot.

The energy attack stopped. Irma skidded to a halt. This was her chance! Gathering everything she had left, Irma tried to combine the elements and… terrible pain erupted all over her body. Irma fell to her knees with a cry of distress.

The Harbinger seized Irma's moment of weakness and launched a powerful burst of energy at the Guardian. The blast struck Irma full on, sending her flying into a pillar on the far side of the room. The stone column cracked and toppled down onto Irma in a cloud of dust.

The Harbinger stood breathing hard waiting too see if the Guardian had survived.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Walls collapsed around them as the battle between the Dragon Knights and Ori Kull became more violent. Some of their attacks had managed to get past his defenses but his strength was incredible, his movements so fast.

"Your parlor tricks are no match for me," said Ori Kull as he deflected another blast of light from Alex. "Attack as much as you like, soon my blade will drink deeply of your blood." He lashed out again causing the wall next to him to crumble.

"It's no good, he is just way too strong!" said Dante as he used his portals to redirect the falling stone away. "Every time we attack him he is able to counter it and use our own attacks against us!"

"Dante! Look out!" Owin shouted. But it was too late. Ori Kull thrust his blade through the newly created portal Dante had just made. The point of the sword erupted from the portal in front of Dante.

There was not time to move, no time to dodge. With incredible speed the sword sunk point first into Dante's chest, into his heart.

Ori Kull pulled the sword back quickly as Dante's portals destabilized, crumbling into nothing.

"NO!" shouted Hayden as he stopped his attack and leapt to his friend's side. Dante looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. With a shaky hand he touched the edge of the wound, his fingers turning crimson with his own life fluid. He held out his hand, looking at it with disbelief.

"That sucks," he whispered as his body gave out and he collapsed. Hayden caught Dante before he hit the ground. The older boy lowered his friend slowly.

"Dante?" Hayden asked searching his friends face. "Dante!"

"What," asked Dante his eyes rolling lazily to Hayden. There was blood at the sides of Dante's mouth and his white teeth were stained with red.

"Don't worry man," Hayden said looking over his friend, his eyes falling on the grotesque rupture in Dante's chest. "You're gona be fine."

"Yeah," Dante laughed. "I'm fine like you are nice." His laugh turned into a coughing fit as he spit up the blood that was filling his punctured lung. Hayden squeezed his friend tighter, no words coming to his lips. "Hayden…" The two boys locked eyes, in that moment all that had transpired between them was forgiven. "…tha—nk—s…"

Dante's limbs slackened in Hayden's arms as his last word pushed out of his lips. Hayden held his friend's empty body, his arms shaking with loss and rage.

"I'll make you pay," Hayden whispered. He looked up locking eyes with Ori Kull. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Irma crawled out of the rubble, coughing.

"You're defiance shall not go unpunished," whispered the Harbinger. Irma looked up to find the Harbinger standing over her.

"I gave you the chance to join us," said the many voices of the Harbinger. However, just like Will's had, one voice stood out more than the others, but this time it was Serenity's. "Now, you shall be erased, not only from existence but memory as well. I will be sure that there are none who remember your name."

The Harbinger raised her hands to strike at Irma again, but Irma held up a hand in surrender.

"Wait," coughed Irma. "There is something you should know…" The Harbinger paused. "I'm just the distraction."

The Harbinger looked at Irma confused.

Hay Lin dropped the spell of invisibility and she, Taranee, Cornelia and Liz all appeared behind the Harbinger. Taranee's hand lashed out and grabbed the back of the Harbingers head. In an instant all of them were pulled into the Harbingers mind.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

White ground and black sky were joined in towering columns. The world spread out to the horizons, but the Guardians had appeared at its very center.

The five of them stood in a circle around the mass of pulsing energy. A single person floated at its core, or at least that's what it seemed like. Will and Serenity were not separate but each half of one body, divided by a line of crackling energy. The two girls floated in the air, joined and entangled in violent black and white light.

"Will! Please! We know you are still in there, that you are still you!" said Liz. Will's eye looked down at the astral drop, seeing the imitation of herself.

"Do not listen to them," Serenity whispered. Will's eye flicked sideways trying to see Serenity. "Their words are lies."

"Will it's me, Cornelia!" said a voice. The world spun in a rush of motion and Cornelia now stood before Will and Serenity. "Please Will, you have to fight her, you have to find your way back to us!"

Will covered her ear so that she did not have to listen and closed her eye so that she did not have to see.

"Please Will, we miss you," it was another voice, covering her ears had done no good. The world spun again and this time it was Taranee who was looking pleadingly up at Will. "You're more than just our leader, you're our friend. You're my friend, the first one I had when I came to Heatherfield."

"Taranee?" whispered Will. A distant flash of memory flitted across her mind. But it was so faint, as if it were someone else's.

"You're everything to us Will," said another voice. "You're the person who keeps us together when we fall apart. You're the one who lights our way when we're in the dark. You're our leader, our teammate, our friend."

"Hay… Hay Lin?" said Will turning her head and for the first time pulling out of the joining light that bound her to Serenity.

"NO!" shouted Serenity, anger and rage in her voice. Will's head snapped back into the magical divide. "They are not your friends, they don't love you the way I do! Think of all that we have shared; of all we still have to give each other."

"But we love you too," it was Irma's voice, Will recognized it. "Without you we are lost. Without you I…"

"Enough!" roared Serenity. The world shook and a few of the columns that were reaching up towards the sky faltered and crashed to the ground. "All your friends have to give you are lies! Why can't you see that?" yelled Serenity.

"My…. My friends?" Will asked her eye narrowing. "You took them from me!"

"Will, I had to! You don't…" Serenity tried.

"I don't what? Understand!" Will shouted. "Of course I don't! You're the one who made it so I couldn't!

"You're no better than the Oracle! You took away my life too! You used me! How much of what I remember is a lie? Is it all a lie? Am I just an illusion of what you wanted?"

Serenity's eye looked away, there were tears at the edges.

"It is," said Will with sorrow and disbelief. "I hate you…" Will whispered. Serenity froze unable to believe what she had heard. "I HATE YOU!" Will shouted louder, squeezing her eye shut.

The world of white burned away and the Guardians were forced out.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

"I think we got through to her!" Taranee shouted as their mental connection was suddenly broken.

The Harbinger's eyes snapped open. Her face was filled with anger and rage. With a scream the Harbinger sent a massive wave of energy outwards, flinging the Guardians away from her.

The Harbinger was breathing hard as she looked at the girls lying around her.

"You think your insignificant powers are enough to stop me?" the voice of Serenity said. "I am the most powerful being in the universe. The child of the Ori Kull and Xi Jing. I am an immortal with a heart and soul. I am a god!"

"Will didn't seem to think so," said Liz as she struggled to sit up. The redhead that looked like Will glared defiantly at the Harbinger. "And without her, you are nothing."

The Harbinger flickered, moving faster than the eye could see. Her hand wrapped around Liz's throat, lifting her off the ground.

"You," whispered the Harbinger. "This is your fault. Without your defiance everything would have merged properly." The Harbinger squeezed harder and Liz let out a gasp of distress. "I wonder where an astral drop goes when you kill it."

Just as Liz's eyes began to close, a flicker of light caught the Harbingers attention.

"You leave her alone!" shouted Irma. She was still in her super Guardian form and was charging at the Harbinger, energy gathered in her raise fist.

"Very well," the Harbinger smiled. She dropped Liz to the ground, her body crumbling into a motionless heap. "But only because I have what I want." The Harbinger held up the Guard of the Heart.

A flash of light engulfed Irma, changing her back into her younger, powerless self. She skidded to a halt in front of the Harbinger. With a sneer the Harbinger struck Irma across the face, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey bitch," said Cornelia. The Harbinger turned her head to look at Cornelia who was getting back to her feet. "Stop hurting my friends."

"You of all people have the least reason to fight me, Cornelia," said the Harbinger. "After what the Oracle did to you." Cornelia continued to walk, ignoring the girl's lies. "You were meant to be the keeper. The Oracle took that away from you."

"Will was meant to be the keeper," said Cornelia defiantly. The Harbinger laughed.

"No," said the Harbinger. "It was always supposed to be your role."

"I don't care what you have to say," sneered Cornelia.

"We could have been powerful allies," said the Harbinger, pointing at Cornelia. Cornelia did not stop. She hesitated only a moment and then let loose a blast of energy. The bolt raced at Cornelia, but curved away just before striking her.

The Harbinger looked surprised but tried again. Holding out both hands she focused all her magic on Cornelia. Wave after wave of powerful magical blasts lashed out at Cornelia.

But each attack was deflected as if Cornelia were surrounded by some invisible shield. Walking slowly, as though moving through a great wind, Cornelia advanced on the Harbinger.

"Die damn you!" the Harbinger shouted. "Die!" Clapping her hands together in one last desperate attempt the Harbinger let lose a huge blast of energy. This time Cornelia dodged the attack and leapt at the Harbinger, her right hand outstretched towards the gem that burned as bright as the sun.

Cornelia's fingers closed around the glowing jew and ripped it from the chain.

The Harbinger let out a roar of agony and rage as she lifted slightly into the air. A scream echoed from her mouth as rays of blinding white light erupted from her body, encompassing all of the fortress.

The Harbinger began to peel away, her shape and form returning to Will.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Hayden lay bleeding on the ground, his right arm badly wounded. Ori Kull moved closer raising his sword, ready to deliver the final blow. Hayden closed his eyes and looked away, if this was to be his fate than he was ready.

With blinding speed and power Ori Kull brought down his silver sword on Hayden. But the blade never touched the boy. Instead it shattered into millions of brilliant shards of light.

"NO!" Ori Kull roared. Hayden chanced a glance at the man who had been about to kill him. Chunks of his skin tore clean of his body and burned away into the air revealing another man beneath.

Ori Kull had vanished into darkness as if he had never been and the Oracle opened his eyes slowly as though he had been asleep for a long time.

The Oracle looked over the devastation, his eyes finally coming to rest on Dante's lifeless form. The Oracle closed his eyes once more; his heart broken by what he had been forced to do.

* * *

To be Concluded!

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Thank you very much everyone who left a review last chapter! **XV-Dragon, Taeniaea, lost prince, DayDreamer9, Steamrollers Solve All **and** Darev.

**Thank you everyone who is still reading!**

**That's right, this isn't the end, one last major twist… Another chapter! Bet you didn't see that coming! This was originally planed to be my ending. But, well, things changed, Part 1 got longer and pushed most of the orginal events into part 2, which pushed some events into part thee, which made this chapter part 4! And there is still a little bit more to go, so now it's part 5! Sigh.**

**Anyhow… I stuck with the four part thing all the way to here, but this chapter was just too much! It had to be broken in two. As one chapter it just didn't work.**

**So, we aren't at the end yet. But stay tuned for the final installment (seriously, it really will be the last chapter this time (minus the epilog, of course)), Part 5! Coming next weekend!**

**Starwin out.**


	29. E7 P5: Friends and Enemies

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Episode 7: Eternities End

* * *

Part 5: Friends and Enemies

* * *

Will's eyes opened, she had no time to react. Her friends embraced her in a furious, crushing, hug. But she still did not know them nor did she remember them as they were. The memories of the distant life that she had seen while sharing one mind and body with Serenity had faded when Serenity left her. Will sat nervously in the arms of strangers, who were holding her tight.

"You have done very well, Guardians," came the voice of the Oracle. The girls looked up in surprise but did not let go of Will as if afraid the Oracle might try and snatch her away. "The evil of Indrakin has once more been sealed away. Kandrakar has been restored."

Will looked sadly down into her clenched fist. Slowly she opened her hand. The Heart of Kandrakar rematerialized in her palm. But, the Soul of Rakadin had not remained with her and the Heart was still missing its Guard. Will could hardly believe what she had done.

"No," whispered Will, tears running down her cheeks. "I didn't want this…"

"What's wrong Will?" Hay Lin asked at the distressed tone in her friend's voice.

"Just leave me alone!" Will shouted, pushing her friends away. "I don't know you. I don't want to know you." Her friends looked uncertainly at one another.

"Will, it's us!" Irma said putting a hand against her chest to indicate who she was. "We're your team, your friends!" Will shook her head and wrapped herself in a protective hug of her own before turning away.

"I don't understand," said Taranee. "Serenity is gone, why isn't Will remembering?"

"Because, unlike you," the Oracle explained sadly as he moved closer. "Serenity did not hide Will's memories, she destroyed them." The girls gasped.

"What?" Cornelia asked in shock, "You mean that everything she was is gone? That Serenity…" Cornelia couldn't finish. The words she was about to speak were too horrible to say aloud.

The Oracle nodded sadly. "The Will you knew is gone. In time this Will may become your friend again, but everything that made her who she was before, has been taken away and replaced with something else."

Will spun on the Oracle, anger in her eyes now. "You would know all about that wouldn't you!" The Oracles face stayed calm as Will advanced on him. Rage boiling in her eyes.

"How many times?" Will snarled. "How many times did you take away my life and give me a new one?" The Oracle's mouth twitched a little.

"Countless times." The Oracle answered at last.

"What!" Irma yelled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Will was not chosen at random to be Keeper of the Heart," explained the Oracle, his eyes not leaving Will's eyes. The redheaded girl glared back at him defiantly. "It was decided long ago, when she was born, that she would one day become a great leader. It was her destiny."

"That still seems pretty random to me," Cornelia interjected.

"I was born here," said Will finally turning to look upon the girls she did not know. "The Oracle is my father," added Will. The confusion on the girls' faces became more pronounced. "And he has been playing god with my life."

"It was necessary to ensure…" the Oracle tried.

"Bullshit!" screamed Will. "You could have left me alone! You could have let me have a normal life!"

"But your life would have been anything but normal," replied the Oracle, un-phased by Will's shouting. "You are not like other children Will, you are Immortal born. While you still age, that progression is drastically slowed.

"Had you been permitted to keep your memories you would have suffered a much worse fate. Everyone you care about would have withered away around you. And you would have been an old woman trapped in the body of a little girl."

"It doesn't matter anyhow," said Will. "Whatever life I had this time is gone too."

"No," said another voice that turned all the heads in the room. It was Will's Astral Drop, Liz, that spoke this time, although her voice was raspy. "That's not entirely true. I still have your memories Will, inside me."

"And when an Astral Drop return to us we get their memories!" Irma shouted punching the air with her fist. Hay Lin wrapped her arms around Liz and hugged her tightly, letting lose a cry of happiness that neither the Oracle, nor the Astral Drop, nor Will herself, seemed to share.

The Oracle's somber tone quickly ended the moment of rejoicing. "I am afraid that we cannot ask you to do such a thing."

"What!" Irma exclaimed indignantly as she turned on the Oracle. She poked him hard in the chest with her finger. "And just why not?"

"This is no simple circumstance of a few hours, or even a few days of lost memories," the Oracle said. "This is an entire lifetime. To give back such a gift is not simply a transfer."

Irma raised an eyebrow; she had no idea what the Oracle was yammering about.

"What he means," said Liz softly. "Is, that if I give Will's memories back I'll cease to exist."

Not very long ago there would have been little problem with this. Back when the girls had first started using their Astral Drop they paid them no mind because they didn't think of them as alive, didn't think that they had feelings. But past experiences had taught them differently. Their Astral Drops felt fear, sadness, joy and love. They were human, too.

And Liz had saved them all by keeping the Heart out of Serenity's hands. How could they ask her not to be? To simply stop existing? No one spoke for a moment.

Liz looked at the girl she had been made from. The young redheaded woman who'd had everything taken away. The astral drop closed her eyes.

"I'll do it," said Liz after a moment. Everyone but the Oracle looked surprised.

"No," protested Will as she moved to come face-to-face with her double, although she stopped herself from touching her. "I can't ask you to sacrifice yourself for me!" Her astral drop smiled back at her.

"You don't have to ask," said Liz, holding out her hand; the Guard of the Heart of Kandrakar in her palm. Will hesitated. "Do you really not want to remember your mother? Your friends? Matt…?

"Besides, I won't be gone," said Liz with a smile. "I'll always be a part of you."

Stirring up all the courage she could, Will extended her fingers and took her astral drops hand. Liz began to glow. Her body started to dissolve into millions of flecks of light that floated like drifting snowflakes back to Will.

"Thank you," Will whispered, looking her astral drop in her beautiful brown eyes as her body faded away. Liz said nothing, she only smiled at Will. In an instant more the transfer was complete and the light was gone, along with the astral drop who had given up everything for Will.

Will opened her clenched fist and found the reformed Heart of Kandrakar in her hand. She closed her eyes and whispered 'thank you' again but only loud enough so that she could her it. This time she knew exactly what her double had given up. She felt the memory of loss in her heart for the girl she had known for only a few moments but who had been with her all her life.

"Will?" Hay Lin asked tentatively, approaching the redhead. Will opened her watery eyes as though seeing the world for the first time. The first people she saw where her friends. They could see in her eyes that she recognized them but they could not see that she saw them with new eyes, different eyes. Holding out her arms, Will's friends rushed to her colliding in laughter and tear filled embraces.

When at last the tears of joy subsided and the friends came apart the Oracle approached them.

"We are once again in your debt, brave Guardians," the Oracle said bowing deeply. "You have restored Kandrakar and removed all the evil that dwelled here.

"Hey, it was nothing," lied Will with a forced smile.

"Nothing! Ha, we should get a vacation in Hawaii for this one at the very least!" said Irma as she squeezed Will's shoulders.

"A vacation you shall have," the Oracle replied fondly, "though admittedly I cannot promise it will be in Hawaii…" the girls laughed but Will looked past the Oracle, to where the Dragon Knights were standing, set apart from the rest of the crowd by their black clothing. Will's brow furled with worry.

Will tried to pull away but Irma stopped her. "And where do you think you're going?"

"Where's Dante?" Will asked concerned. The smile on the Oracle's face vanished and his eye's saddened. The moment of happiness was crushed in an instant under the weight of silent sorrow.

"He's dead," said Hayden simply. His voice was the only sound that could be heard. Hay Lin covered her mouth in shock, letting out a small gasp. Will turned her fury on the Oracle.

"Bring him back," Will demanded. The Oracle and the other guardians were shocked by the anger in Will's tone as she addressed the Oracle. "I know you have the power, I felt it myself!"

The Oracle looked away. "What you ask is…"

"Impossible?" Will shouted beating the Oracle to his proclamation. "Don't stand there and pretend to be our friend one minute then lie to us the next! All of this, ALL OF IT, is your fault! You're just too much of a coward to admit it!"

The whole room went silent.

"Uh, Will?" tried Taranee weakly.

"No," Will said shooting a harsh glance at her friend. "No, I'm done being a Guardian of Kandrakar. I'm done being your go-to-girl. I'm done being lied to and manipulated by this stupid… old… fool!"

"Will, you don't know what you're saying!" Hay Lin cried.

"Yes I do Hay Lin, more than you know!" said Will shaking her head. "But you just don't get it, do you? Everything isn't just like it was. Nothing is the same as it used to be. I'm different, I'm someone else! The Will you knew is dead. The Oracle and Serenity killed her, washed her away…

"I have her memories, I have her face and her body… but I am someone else now." Will cried, emotion overpowering her voice as tears rolled down her face. She was shouting at everyone, not just her friends or the Oracle.

"I won't be your puppet." Will said, fixing her gaze on the Oracle. "The Guardians of Kandrakar were once the Guardians of Earth. And that's what we are going to be again. From this day on, we are no longer your servants."

The Oracle was the only person who remained passive throughout Will's speech.

"I see," said the Oracle after a moment. "Very well, if that is truly what you…"

"Will, what the heck are you saying!" shouted Irma, taking Will's arm and looking into her eyes. Will looked sadly back at her friend and Irma felt a very strange sensation. Irma's heart skipped a beat in her chest and she let go of Will.

"Are we to be enemies then, Keeper of the Heart?" the Oracle asked.

"I don't know. That depends on your actions," replied Will, not backing down from the Oracle's piercing gaze that would have destroyed most mortals. She looked at the former Dragon Knights. "Come on Hayden, we'll take you back to Heatherfield."

Hayden shook his head. "Thanks Will, but…" Will's eyes narrowed as though warning him not to go on, but he continued. "… but the Oracle has agreed to let us stay in Kandrakar."

"We've never really belonged in Heatherfield, or anywhere else on Earth for that matter," said Owin.

"Our powers aren't gone," continued Hayden. "If we go back to Earth our problems will just start all over again."

"Boy, I'm glad that's not me," Irma whispered out of the side of her mouth. "Having to stay here every day would drive me crazy!"

"Fine, stay then," Will snarled angrily. She looked around at her friends. "Does anyone else want to stay behind!" All of the girls seemed to shrink away from Will, except for Cornelia who just shook her head with disbelief. "Then we're leaving, I don't care for the company here!"

Will lifted the Heart into the air and with a flash of light the Guardians returned home.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

With a crash of magic that sent a whirlwind around the small room, the five former Guardians of Kandrakar materialized in the basement of the Silver Dragon. All of them stood in silence while the overhead light swung back and forth. The girls danced in and out of the light, although they did not move, and they were all looking at Will, expecting her to say something.

"So that's it then?" asked Taranee at last. "We're done being Guardians?" Will looked at her for a long moment before shifting her gaze around at the rest of her friends.

"The Oracle has no power to take away our magic or even to reclaim the Heart," Will said. "I for one don't intend to stop helping people but I'm done with Kandrakar and the Oracle."

"Will's right!" chimed in Irma, much to everyone's surprise. "The Oracle has never helped us! This whole mess was his fault!"

"But without the help of the Oracle what will we do about Taranee?" asked Hay Lin.

"Actually I think my sight is starting to come back," Taranee said. She was looking completely in the wrong direction.

"Uh, Taranee, were over here," said Cornelia, waving a hand at her friend.

"And how about Elyon? How about everyone in Heatherfield?" continued Hay Lin her normal timidness starting to give way to anger. "Serenity used her magic to make everyone forget you Will! We don't have the power to fix that!"

"It was the rain that kept me out of their memories. So, they should start to remember me once the sky clears." Will explained. None of her friends said anything unsure how she could possibly know this. "I saw it in Serenity's thoughts, that, and… and other things…"

"Look," said Will taking a deep breath. "I'm different, okay. I know it's strange, how do you think I feel? But that's just how it is. I have one life in my head that I know is my life. But I also have this other life in my head and I can't forget it or pretend it away. I can't!"

"You have no idea what we went through to get you back. And now you're telling us that we failed. That the Will we set out to save is gone?" Cornelia asked coldly, taking a defiant posture. "So what else is going to change? How different are you, are you a complete stranger? Do you even know who you are?"

Will shook her head. "I'm not sure. All I know is that everything has changed." There was a moment of silence while Will's words lingered in the air. "You can go back to the Oracle, if that's what you want. I won't stop you.

"But I won't let him control me anymore," said Will before pausing for a moment and looking pointedly at the others. "We had all better get home. This isn't something I think we can sort out tonight."

"Oh my god!" shouted Irma, her face filling with panic and realization. "My parents are going to kill me! We've been gone for days!" Without waiting for the others, the brown haired girl sprinted up the stairs but, no one moved to follow her. Irma looked back at her four friends who stood in the small circle of light at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah," said Hay Lin coldly, looking away from Will. "You have better leave."

Without a word, Cornelia took Taranee by the arm and walked past Will, not looking at her. Irma met Cornelia's eyes and felt a chill run down her spine as the two girls passed. Irma watch Cornelia as she walked away, there had been something terrible in Cornelia's eyes.

A hand came to rest on Irma's shoulder that made her jump. "Hey," said Will softly. "You wanna walk home with me?" Irma nodded and the two of them left together, not hearing Hay Lin's sobs.

* * *

THE END

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**I would like to thank everyone who left a review last chapter: **Taeniaea, XV-Dragon, Steamrollers Solve All, DayDreamer9, Darev and GxYu5598. **You all rock! (and/or roll)**

**And a big thank you to my readers!**

**And that everyone is the end of that! It's been a long interesting ride, with many twists and turns and loops and turns… and uh… yeah… turns…**

**Anyhow thanks for reading along, I'm assuming if you made it this far you enjoyed the story, because, well, you kept reading… or you cheated and jumped to the end. In the case that you jumped ahead—Ahem… shame on you, cheater!**

**The main story is over but there is one more little part to go, the epilogue, will go up tomorrow (it's not quite done yet, I've been traveling and its been hard to work on anything), so you only have to wait one more day… although as you have most likely guessed, this is only an ending to this story arch, not the story. The Epilogue sets up where we are headed next.**

**Starwin out.**


	30. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the characters or other elements (pun intended) portrayed in this story.**

* * *

"Unmaking the World"

By: Starwin

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

Taranee and Cornelia walked silently through the streets of Heatherfield. Cornelia was still fuming silently from her bout with Will.

"_Stubborn, ignorant, stupid…_" Cornelia thought, then stopped herself and looked at Taranee, who was looking back at her with glazed eyes. "Sorry," said Cornelia aloud, knowing she had been broadcasting her thoughts and that the other girl had heard her rant.

"She's been through a lot," said Taranee. "We all have, we are all different."

"I suppose," said Cornelia absently.

"You're different too," continued Taranee. Cornelia glared at her friend. "I can just feel it in you."

"What was the point!" shouted Cornelia, unable to contain herself any longer. "My powers are gone, you're blind and Will… We don't even know that girl back there!" Cornelia pointed back the direction they had come from.

"The point was to get Will back and to stop Serenity from whatever she was going to do. And we did. Even if Will is a little different now," said Taranee calmly. "Besides, my sight really is coming back." She was pointing at one of the buildings nearby. "There's my house."

Cornelia led Taranee to the front walkway before Taranee let go and continued on her own.

"Thanks," said Taranee.

"Well I couldn't just let you wander home all alone," said Cornelia a smile straining her face. Taranee took a few steps towards her door but stopped and looked back at her friend.

"Cornelia," said Taranee. "Elyon wanted me to tell you something… but I don't know if now is really the right time." Cornelia said nothing. Taranee paused as though trying to find the words. "Elyon and Caleb are getting married."

It was like Taranee had slapped her. Cornelia's breath caught in her chest.

"Wa… what?" asked Cornelia, her voice harsh and raspy.

"Elyon wanted to tell you in person," said Taranee. "But… but she said you had been avoiding her…" Cornelia's mouth twitched.

"I'm happy for her," Cornelia lied. "Goodnight." The last word was almost sobbed as Cornelia turned and ran.

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

The Oracle sat alone in his meditation chamber. Right now his sight was far distant from his body, seeking answers in the past, present and future. He had not foreseen the events of the past month. This future had been concealed from him and he needed to find out everything that had transpired so that he could decide what had to be done next.

The Oracle followed the trials of the Guardians from the first appearance of Serenity until the present. He saw in his visions all of the pain and sorrow that she had brought. But there was hope still…

As the Oracle neared the end of his visions he could see that Elyon was stirring from her trance and that Taranee's sight was slowly returning to her.

But as the Oracle's eyes turned to Kandrakar he saw something horrible; something that shook him to the very core. His meditation was broken and the old man fell to the floor, trembling.

The Tower of Mists. The prison that held the greatest demons of the universe within its eternal walls. The inescapable fortress… it was empty. Every cell was vacant. Every prisoner was gone.

They had been pulled away to Rakadin. But the Oracle could see it would not be Serenity who would unite them and turn them on Kandrakar, it would be…

-- ∞∞∞∞∞ Ω ∞∞∞∞∞ --

Cornelia fumbled with the lock on the door to her family's condo, her hands were trembling so badly as she stifled a sob. Finally she managed to get it open but the sounds coming from the other side made Cornelia clamp a hand over her mouth. She could hear the voices of the TV in the living room. The fear of her parents had momentarily overcome her crushing sadness.

Moving on tip-toe, Cornelia snuck towards her room. But she had hardly taken more than a few steps before her father appeared from the kitchen, plate in hand.

Cornelia felt like a deer caught in headlights, she couldn't run or even break out of the silly pose she was holding. Her father blinked and looked at her as if he didn't know her. He blinked again.

"Cornelia…" said her father. For a moment she thought he would burst forward and grab her up in a hug, but he did not. Instead his posture relaxed and he addressed her casually, as if he had expected her to be there. "Tomorrow is a school day. You need to get to bed, honey." And then he walked off towards the living room.

Unable to comprehend what she had just happened, Cornelia stood in the hallway dumbstruck. Her father had not been angry or overjoyed to see her. It was like she had never left, even though she had been missing for several days.

Her thoughts jumbled in her head, Cornelia continued to her room and crashed face first into her bed. Her tears renewed as her thoughts drifted back to Taranee's words. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she screamed into her pillow, her words muffled.

It wasn't long before Cornelia cried herself to sleep. Her dreams were haunted by terrible nightmares of worlds on fire and cities crumbling to ash. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to escape the invisible horrors in her mind.

When at last the dreams subsided she finally lay still on her back. Her breathing was uneven and her face was sweaty but the nightmares had stopped for the moment. And it was then that blue gem around her neck began to glow in anticipation of what destruction its new owner would soon bring.

* * *

Not The End…

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Thank you to **XV-Dragon **and** DayDreamer9 **for reviewing the previous chapter!**

**Thank you to all my readers who hung in there until the end!**

**ZOMSGH!!1!! **

**It's been fun everyone. I hope you have enjoyed "Unmaking the World" by Starwin. Remember to suggest it to your friends if you liked it. Or, at the very least, to keep the death threats to a minimum if you didn't like it…**

**Part 2, "Paths Divided" is now posted! New chapters will go up on the first of each month. Enjoy!**

**Until next time space cowboy!**

**Starwin out for now.**


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